Unforeseen Awakening
by LadyDracula
Summary: A vampire is drawn to Transylvania. He arrives with his daughter only to find pain from Van Helsing lingering in the air. So, they embark on a journey to reunite Van Helsing with his lost love, Anna Valerious. COMPLETE!
1. Default Chapter

(Ok this is my first fanfic on this website, and I know the years in the story are messed up. But, they change of dates was necessary for my story  
to take place. Most characters are not my own. As of now, Adam, Madeline, and Monty are the only ones I am owner of. Oh, don't mind the Abraham Van Helsing reference because I plan to have Gabriel Van Helsing  
further on. Please if you want to read where Van Helsing is at in my  
story, he appears in Chapter 4 and will be in the rest after that.)  
  
Adam Christophen, a sandy haired man dressed in the upper fashion for England in the late years of the 1800s, stood at his window enjoying the full moons beauty. He studied the lunar activities carefully through extensive records that traced back for centuries. Most records were reports of werewolf activity, which captivated Adam's curiosity. Adam was no ordinary man who could travel by day or night, whichever he fancied, no Adam was harnessed only to live his life by the night. As a child he suffered from a terrible illness that prevented him from even being touched by the sunlight. The sun could have killed him within a few minutes as a child and throughout his adolescent years. But when Adam reached adulthood, he encountered another form of illness that would also hinder him to live in the desolate darkness.  
At age twenty-two, Adam walked alone in the English woods, as he was accustomed to most nights. He took in as much fresh air as he could during his walks, and he would study the changes in the forest each night. Each night, Adam missed not being able to walk in daylight, like the rest of his friends and family. He had few friends, most were too afraid of him to come close, afraid they too would catch his terrible illness. So, Adam never walked near the townspeople just to keep the shrieks of terror at a minimum. But, he desperately longed for human affection, which his parents rarely showed towards him.  
Adam walked alone one night until clouds covered the moon and left the woods dark, too dark to even see his hand held out in front of him. He tried to back up, but he ran into something. Adam spun around and felt the object he ran into and felt a person's face. He gasped and fell onto the ground. He crawled away the best he could, but the person closed in on him. The clouds passed, and Adam saw a red-haired woman crouching before him. Her linen dress flowed, but the moonlight shone through to reveal her sleek body. Her eyes were a peculiar color, and her skin was white like ivory. Adam assumed she too had the illness he possessed and felt a deep calm inside.  
"Have you lost your way," the woman asked in a friendly manner.  
"No, the clouds merely covered the moon, and I could not see to proceed." Adam told her.  
The woman smiled. "People usually avoid these woods, you know. Haunted, they say." The woman's voice was soothing, and Adam felt a strong attraction to her.  
Adam sat up, and his face was mere inches from the red-haired woman. She was beautiful to him because of her pale skin, peculiar eyes, and ruby red lips. "I do not fear ghouls," he told her.  
"Oh, but they say ghouls are the least of problems here. Werewolves, they cry, werewolves and...vampires," the woman's eyes lit up at the words.  
Adam leaned even closer towards the mysterious woman. "I do not fear them," he told her quietly. "They live amongst the dark, as must I. I feel remotely connected to them."  
The woman smiled, but did not open her mouth. She stroked Adam's cheek and leaned in to kiss his lips. She pulled back after that only to have Adam press his mouth up against hers. It was only a moment before she pulled her mouth away and whispered in Adam's ear, "I shall bridge a gap from those creatures to you."  
Before Adam could protest, the redheaded woman bit down into his with sharp fangs. He was not frightened and did not struggle against her. He let her take his miserable, lonely life in hopes that as an undead he would find more pleasures. His mind grew dark and fuzzy as he was drained to the brink of death. The woman laid him on the ground and marveled over his body. Even with her deadly fangs visible, Adam found the woman irresistible beautiful. She brought her wrist up to her mouth and bit into her vein. She hissed as she held her wrist over Adam's mouth.  
Adam tasted the woman's blood and was attracted to it. It gave him a strength he never felt before, a lust he never held, and a life he never had before. He bolted up and held his mouth to her bleeding wrist. The woman hissed amusingly before pulling her arm out of Adam's grip. Adam screamed as her blood began its transformation of his body. His body felt like it was on fire as it slowly and painfully died. He rolled on the forest floor writhing in the horrible pain.  
Adam felt the woman sit down upon Adam's chest as his body came close to the end of its transformation. Adam looked up into her eyes before succumbing to the call of death. The woman watched his chest sink and calmly awaited it to rise once again. It took a moment, but Adam's eyes popped open and changed from dull green to a bright, multicolored green. He grinned up at the female vampire upon his chest, showing his new, but sharp, fangs. He felt a lust for the vampire that he never felt for any woman in his mortal life.  
The female vampire adored the lover she'd made and leaned down engaging in a kiss with him. Adam returned her kiss just as passionately as she had been. Adam rolled her down onto the earth, which his heightened senses told him was full of life. But, he was more side-tracked by his lust for his maker. He kissed her hard then softly. Then, he pulled away and sat up, his knees locked at her hips. He panted before he asked, "What is your name?"  
The female vampire ran her hands along Adam's body as she held his gaze in her own. "Lucy," she replied.  
Feeling satisfied knowing his maker's name, Adam resumed his passion towards Lucy. They spent a long time enjoying acts of passion on the forest floor before leaving to feed their lust for blood. Adam had never felt the hunger he felt that night. The hunger blinded his eyes but heighten his sense of smell even more than his normal vampire sense of smell. But, Lucy knew what she was doing. She stood in a garden of flowers, which grew around her as she stood singing a soft, sweet melody.  
After a few moments, several children came running towards Lucy. Adam stood adoring Lucy even more that she held so much power as a vampire. Lucy took the hand of one child and sank her teeth into the child's neck. She did not drain the child, a little boy, but left him in a daze. Lucy held out her hand to another child, a girl, whom Lucy led over to Adam. The girl let go of Lucy's hand and held out her own little hand to Adam. Adam took her hand and pulled her over to him. The little girl was under a trance from Lucy's song, so Adam took advantage of the trance and bit down into the girl's neck. He felt his hunger slowly be relinquished as he drank from the child. But, he felt content before draining the little girl and pulled his fangs from her neck. He held the dazed girl in his arms and marveled over the girl. She was a beautiful, blonde girl with spiral curls. He caressed her cheek as he laid her down onto the soft grass.  
After several weeks of feeding upon the children every night, the people of London began to hunt for the creatures preying upon their children, using the children's description of the "bloofer lady" and her friend to hunt down the predator. Lucy hid Adam in the basement of her family's tomb, so he could be safe. But a man named Abraham Van Helsing came with three other men to vanquish the vampire inside of Lucy. Adam had to watch in horror as his lover was killed not by Abraham but a man who was quivering before driving a stake into Lucy's chest.  
Adam mourned Lucy for several nights, but eventually left to feed upon the children of the town. But, he felt the loneliness that had consumed his mortal life and longed to kill that Abraham Van Helsing for his pain. But, Dracula and his brides had revived Lucy to her vampire form and Adam let go of his hate. He had his lover back, and they relished their love. They soon parented a child, a little girl born dead. Lucy sacrificed her life to bring her daughter to life. Adam could not persuade Lucy otherwise and watched her die once again. But, his daughter let out an ear-piercing cry upon Lucy's death.  
Adam picked up his daughter and held her tightly. The child, whom he named Madeline, had his green eyes and blonde hair. Her hair was curly, like her mother's hair had been. Adam wept several hours for Lucy, but he soon recomposed himself and resumed his role as a father.  
Years flew by, and Madeline grew to be a lovely adolescent. But, she never grew past adolescence. Her blonde hair flowed down her back in a mass of curls, and she had a love for everything she knew nothing about, especially mortals. So, Adam collected records of human history and gave it to Madeline to indulge her mind. She became captivated with the folklore of humans, and so began that collection that would spawn Adam's fascination with moon and how it affected life. 


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: If you see the name Seth in the story, disreguard it because it is a typo. It should read Adam and not Seth--Seth is a characer from an  
original vampire story of mine. I do not own Gabriel Van Helsing, Anna  
Valerious, her family, Vaseria, Carl, or any other part of the story  
relating to the Van Helsing movie. I forgot to mention on the previous  
page, but I do not own Lucy Westerna or Abraham Van Helsing.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Adam had traced lunar activities down to a pack of werewolves in Transylvania. He and Madeline packed up suitcases and left servants in charge of their manor. They headed for Transylvania, and neither one could keep their excitement at bay. Madeline, dressed in a dress from the current fashion of London, had her arm entwined with her father's at the elbow. They rode in a luxurious carriage, after they had made it to Romania by boat, that could be shut tight to prevent sunlight from entering during the ride in sunlight hours.  
Each night, Adam and Madeline would visit a bar and wait for a local drunk to ask Madeline to escort him home. The drunk would pass out once in his home, and father and daughter would share the blood. They always left a tiny satchel of gold coins by the body before they left. The driver of the carriage was a servant of theirs, and did not mind their lifestyles. Madeline often held talks with him, since he was a mortal that she had access to. He enlightened her on what he could, and he ate up all the knowledge he could give.  
Adam and Madeline arrived at Transylvania just in time to learn of a Gabriel Van Helsing being the current werewolf. The name Van Helsing sent torrid resentment surging through Adam's veins, especially when he learned that Van Helsing was after Dracula. Adam never forgot Dracula's gift to him by bringing Lucy back to life the first time, and was the reason that he had Madeline. So, Adam raced down to Vaseria, where he had heard rumor of Van Helsing helping one Anna Valerious, the last of her family bloodline, track down Dracula.  
By the time that Adam made it to the village, he found Van Helsing free of his werewolf form. 'So, he killed Dracula. I did not know that such a creature could be vanquished. I shall miss him for giving me Lucy back once. As for now, I must find this Van Helsing." Adam thought.  
Adam and Madeline searched Van Helsing's trail to the Black Sea. Adam searched a site where Anna Valerious, who Van Helsing's werewolf form had killed, had a burnt pyre on the edge of a cliff overlooking the gorgeous sea. Adam felt the woman's presence and felt love that Van Helsing had felt for her. His hatred for the man fell to the depths at that love in the air. Even Madeline felt the love. "Daddy, that man loved her," she said quietly in the still night. "He's guilty for her death, even though he could not control his actions as a werewolf."  
"Yes, that is what I feel too." Adam replied to her.  
Madeline looked over to her father. "He is in great pain, Daddy. A pain you recognize from your past. We must help him."  
Adam looked to his daughter. "He bears the name of the man who killed your mother," he said flatly.  
"But, he has no connection with that man, Daddy. Gabriel Van Helsing is a man of an ancient past, and I feel no connection with the man from London." Madeline's green eyes were full of fire. "I cannot stay here with this man's pain so strong. I must help him."  
"How, Madeline?" Adam asked as he turned to stare his daughter sweetly in the face. "How do we help him?"  
Madeline stared over at the pyre. "We bring her back to life," she told him.  
Adam was bewildered. 'What is my daughter thinking,' he thought. "Madeline, that is not possible."  
Madeline shook her head, tossing her gorgeous curls about. "Human history speaks of Egyptians with the spells to resurrect a human."  
"Madeline." Adam interrupted.  
Madeline continued, "We must find the Book of the Dead, Daddy."  
"That's all?" Adam asked skeptically. "Find the Book of the Dead."  
Madeline twisted her mouth about. "And, a sacrifice."  
Adam coughed out, "What?"  
Madeline held up her hands trying to calm her father down. "If the woman's body had been buried, not burned, a sacrifice would not have been needed. We could have simply brought her spirit back from death and reinserted it into her original body." Madeline sighed as her father began to accept her argument. "But now, we must find a host to reinsert Anna's spirit into, thus transforming the host body into the exact replica of Anna's original body."  
Adam sighed and watched Madeline's eyes plead him to tell her they could embark upon such a quest. 'This is impossible to accept. How can we, two vampires with no knowledge of the ancient Egyptian language, find this sacred book and read from it to bring Anna Valerious back to life. And, that is not even considering finding a host body.' Adam stared deep into his daughter's eyes, and he could not disappoint her. He loved her far too much to deprive her of this task, which for a mysterious reason meant so much to her. "All right, my daughter, we will bring this Valerious back to life. But, we must find some help."  
Madeline ran to her father and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you, Daddy. This means worlds to me."  
"Tell me why?" Adam inquired hopefully.  
Madeline touched her father's face. "Maybe some day, but not today," she told him. Adam sighed and followed his overjoyed daughter back to the carriage.  
Madeline ran to the driver of the carriage, Monty. "Monty, Monty, Daddy and I must travel to Egypt to find the Book of the Dead. We must bring a woman back to life to ease a heart-broken man."  
Monty stared at Madeline. "The Book of the Dead. How do you plan on reading this book? You and your father know not of Ancient Egyptian language."  
Madeline suddenly realized Monty was right, and it dampened her spirits. "Oh, dear, I do know know." She sunk down into the carriage seats. 'I did not think about how the book needed to be read. Perhaps my task shall not be fulfilled.'  
Monty suddenly felt guilty for saddening the lovely daughter of his master. "Madeline, do not fear defeat so early. Search for the witches!" Monty thrust his arm into the air. "They must be roaming about so shortly after Hollow's Eve. The witches are old creatures who hold many secrets. Perhaps you can make a bargain with them to retrieve and read from the book."  
Madeline's face lit up once again. "Oh, Monty, such brilliance!"  
Adam entered the carriage. He was so slow because had been enjoying the Black Sea and the smell of the waters. Madeline grabbed his arm and shouted merrily, "Daddy, we must find the witches! We can bargain with them to find the book and read from it!"  
Adam grinned slyly at the thought of the witches. 'Yes,' he thought, 'We send the witches to do the hard part, and I bargain with them. I will let them keep the book, and I will use their services to serve a good purpose. I just cannot let Madeline know of it yet. She would be devastated at my plans.' Adam told his daughter, "Yes, that is a novel idea. We will find the witches, and I do believe we have a place to start in our collection."  
Madeline laughed. "Oh, Daddy, I already know where the witches lurk. In the colonies, well, England's former colonies. There are many records of witches in the town of Salem!"  
Adam smiled at his brilliant daughter. "That's my daughter," he told her. "Monty, would you--"  
"Yes, sir," Monty interrupted, "I shall come along and be your driver." He was very curious to see the States. They had caused England a lot of trouble, but they were strong. Monty wanted to meet the people who lived in the land of the former colonies.  
"Superb!" Adam announced. "Then, we must make way for the States."  
"Quite right!" Madeline agreed. 'My task has not been defeated,' she thought. 'It lives and will grow in due time.' Madeline was bubbly about the turn of events, but she would have been unhappy with the plans her father held in store for the mortals she sought to bring happiness. He planned on using them for his own good, and that was not at all what Madeline wanted. 


	3. Chapter 2

The trip to America took many nights after leaving Transylvania and returning to London. Adam and Madeline gathered up as much of their folklore collection as they could before leaving for America. Madeline also gathered up her ancient records about the ancient Egyptians hoping that the records could help seal a deal with the witches by allowing them to read about the culture of ancient Egypt. Madeline packed her records in a special leather bag that she could carry with her on the ship to America.  
  
Adam and Madeline rested, as well as Monty, while the servants brought their masters' luggage near the door for a quick departure when sundown arrived. They also caught as many rats and mice they could during the day to pack in a crate, their blood could keep Adam and Madeline alive during the ride upon the ship. They also packed fruits and vegetables for Monty's journey. The woman baked bread for Monty to eat if the fruits and vegetables began to spoil during the trip.  
Sundown came quickly, and Adam woke to Madeline tugging at his arms. "Come on, Daddy, we must leave at once." Adam sighed in response to his daughter because he would have liked to wake completely before leaving. 'All well,' he thought. 'Sooner we leave, the sooner we will arrive at our destination.'  
Halfway through the journey, Madeline pulled out her folklore records while on the ship. She was in her father's cabin and was reading by the light of a lantern hanging from a hook on the roof. The lantern gave off more light than the candles Madeline had packed, so she used it. She poured over what the records told of Ancient Egypt, and she was desperately looking for a clue as to where the Book of the Dead was. But all the records could tell her was that the book of the dead was a scroll that could be purchased before death. It had symbols and spells to protect the person in the afterlife. 'But, where is the original?' Madeline wondered.  
Adam stood out on the deck of the ship staring out to the ocean, and he sensed the presence of witches. The presence was far away, but it was inevitably there. Knowing witches were waiting, Adam sent out a telepathic message to any witch that would answer. I am seeking the help of the Salem witches. I have a quest for them. Adam stared off into the darkness waiting patiently for a reply, and he stood there for many minutes with nothing in response to his call. So, he started to head back into his cabin with Madeline, but something stopped him.  
You seek us, a voice rang loud and clear inside of Adam's head. What request do you wish us on?  
Adam turned back around to the direction of the presence. My daughter and I are coming to find you. We have a request, and I will stop at nothing to see that my daughter's wish is fulfilled. I also intend to take some profit from her wish, he replied.  
The reply was delayed by obvious discussion among the witches. Adam felt they were discussing what he'd told them. We will meet you and hear your request, but we do not accept many. We do not give favors to mortals.  
Then I am in luck, he told them, For I am no mortal. I am a vampire traveling with my vampire daughter.  
Ah, then maybe we can trade. We give you what you want, and you make a bargain with us. Of course, it has to be worth our time and energy.  
Adam grinned and replied. I do not doubt it will be worth your time.  
Then, we shall make your travel quicker. You travel by boat?  
Yes.  
Then, we will make the waters move faster to hasten your arrival. We believe there is much to gain from a meeting. You shall be here by tomorrow's eve.  
Adam nodded to himself. Wonderful, I can't wait. I'm sure my daughter will be very pleased to hear this news.  
The witches did not reply, but Adam felt the boat moved faster than its normal pace was. He felt confident in the short time it took the witches to hold up their word. 'I will enjoy my work with them,' he thought. 'They will make most promising acquaintances.'  
Adam headed for his cabin, where he found Madeline examining her records once again. "My dear daughter." Adam said to her. "Why must you worry yourself over this when I come bearing good news?"  
Madeline's head jerked up, tossing her curly hair backwards. "What news do your bring," she asked excitedly.  
Adam leaned down so he was face to face with her. "The witches are causing the ocean to propel us to them faster."  
Madeline smiled brightly. "Brilliant! All the closer we get to the witches, all the closer we get to helping reunite lost loves."  
Once again, Adam found himself baffled by his daughter's fascination on reuniting Gabriel Van Helsing and Anna Valerious. They were just two mortals in a cruel world, who'd suffered cruel fate. But, a small voice deep inside of Adam told him that he too had felt that loss, and he knew how good it was to have the woman he loved in his arms again. 'I was given that gift once,' he thought. 'Perhaps this Van Helsing should be repaid for the pain he's in."  
Daylight fast approached, leaving Adam and Madeline deep in slumber. Monty found joy in helping the ship's crew. They had him do small jobs like swab the deck, but he got to be in the sunlight for once. Monty rarely saw sunlight, since he was Adam's number one servant and loyal friend. So, a chance to be in the sunlight was a joy to him, even if it involved having to work. Monty soaked in the warm rays of light that poured over his body like he had for the whole journey. Soon, he would have to return to living during the night, and it made him sad.  
Monty woke up Adam and Madeline as soon as the sun went below the horizon. He burst into the cabin and yelled, "Sir, we've arrived!" Adam and Madeline rose up from their beds and raced to the door of the cabin. Madeline gasped at the sight of land, and said to Adam, "Daddy, look, we're finally here."  
Adam put his arm around his lovely daughter and grinned evilly. "Yes, darling, we are."  
The townspeople gathered to see the newcomers, and they feared they two blonde strangers and their servant. Adam glanced over at the crowd and saw the fear in their eyes, and he wondered if townspeople from the America knew what a vampire looked like. "Daddy," Madeline whispered, "Do they know we're vampires?"  
Adam held his daughter tightly and stared blankly at the crowd using his mind powers to send them into a trance. Instead of fear Adam, they smiled at him and left to resume their sleep. Adam nodded from satisfaction with his powers, and he led his daughter towards the presence he felt on the boat while attempting to contact the witches. Soon enough, he saw a group of women standing in the forest at the edge of the town. They all wore dark robes that concealed their bodies and helped them blend in with the dark.  
Adam saw the leader, who stood closer to where he, Madeline, and Monty were. She held out her arm and swept it to the left then turned and followed her coven ushering Adam, Madeline, and Monty to follow. The three did follow the coven, and they were eager to begin their bargain. Adam was interested in learning more about the witches because he had never seen a witch in London. If there were any at all, they stayed well out of the way of others. 'Perhaps it's a pity they hide,' Adam thought to himself, 'These witches are intriguing.'  
The witches led the two vampires and their servant deep into the heart of the forest before arriving to the witch village. Adam was awe- struck by the houses seemingly untouched by time for they kept their fifteenth century appeal. All the houses were made of logs and had hay on the roof except where a chimney protruded from it. "You've kept your houses in such an out-of-date style. You live in records of time." Adam announced out of the silence.  
The leader turned to him. "Yes, we like to keep our homes unchanged and simple. It's the way our ancestors would have preferred it."  
Madeline was bursting with questions to ask of the witches. "What do you know of the witch trials?"  
The leader removed her hood and stared deep into the young vampire's eyes. "I know that we lost a few of our kind in those trials, which killed a lot more innocent mortals than our kind. But, our family fled from the trials and settled deep in this forest knowing that the puritans were too afraid to tread this far."  
She saw the thrill in Madeline's eyes, but there was a meeting to be held. "What of the meeting, vampires?"  
Adam took his arm off of his daughter's shoulders and stepped up to the witch leader. "First, what is your name, good witch?"  
The witch looked him squarely in the face. "You know not enough of me to call me good witch, but what is your name, vampire?"  
Adam did not mind introducing himself first, in fact, he rather enjoyed it. "Adam Peter Christophen," he replied proudly. He was tall, nearing six feet, with well-groomed hair and green eyes that stood out against his dark upper class garb.  
The witch nodded and held out her hand. "Victoria Lillith Robertson," she told him.  
Adam held out his hand for Victoria to take, which she did. He kissed the top of her hand and told her, "What a beautiful name."  
Victoria took back her hand and removed her robe revealing an antique dress of witches. It was a crimson red dress with gold trim along the neck, down the lace up front of the dress and around the bottom of the dress. The crimson made her black hair and blue eyes stand out, and Adam found her very lovely. "Flattery matters little to me, Mr. Christophen." Victoria told him. "Now, shall we discuss our bargain?"  
"Yes, let's." Adam replied.  
Victoria told her coven, "Please take Mr. Christophen's guests to where they'll be staying tonight."  
Madeline stepped closer to her. "But, I'd like to be in the meeting."  
Adam touched his daughter's arm and told her, "It's all right, Madeline. I'll make sure to mention everything."  
Madeline pulled her Ancient Egyptian records out of her leather bag. "Here," she told her father before following Victoria's coven to a house that was boarded up and covered with heavy materials to keep light from getting in.  
Victoria led Adam into her home where the meeting would be held. "All meetings are personal. I am the coven leader, so I take care of all business. Please, come inside." Adam accepted and entered her home. 


	4. Chapter 3

Author's note: Sorry about not having Van Helsing and Anna in here yet. I promise they're going to appear in the next chapter. I once again repeat that I do not own Van Helsing, Anna Valerious, her family, Vaseria, Carl, or any other part of the story relating to the Van Helsing movie. I forgot to mention on previous pages, but I do not own Lucy Westerna or Abraham Van Helsing. I also have no ownership of witchcraft in Salem in the past. Thank you for being patient enough to read this.  
  
Victoria shut her door and ushered Adam to sit at round table made of strong and smooth wood. The chairs were the same strong wood, but they had soft cushions on them. Adam sat down in one of the chairs and marveled at how soft the cushion was. Victoria soon joined him in the chair sitting on the opposite side of the table. "So, what is this request you have?" Victoria questioned.  
Adam straightened up and set the records of Ancient Egypt on the table. "Madeline wants to reunite Gabriel Van Helsing with his lost love, Anna Valerious. But, Anna is deceased. Madeline and I request this of you and your coven. Find this Book of the Dead from Egypt, and use it to bring Anna back to life. In return for your services, you get to keep the Book of the Dead." Adam leaned across the table as he spoke.  
Victoria let out a dull laugh. "We don't need this Book of the Dead, Mr. Christophen," she told him.  
"Call me Adam," he replied leaning back in his chair.  
Victoria stared at him. "We do not need the Book of the Dead because we have to powers in our own books to perform resurrections."  
Adam pondered over the information. 'What else could be offered for the witches' service? I have to have this work, I have plans to accomplish.' He told Victoria, "Listen, I need you to resurrect this woman. I have plans for her and this Van Helsing."  
"Ah, yes, the monster slayer that would kill us on sight." Victoria noted. She had her distaste for Van Helsing when news came to the nearby town that Van Helsing was vanquishing warlocks. Victoria had to keep her coven safe, and Van Helsing was the kind of man who would prevent that at all costs.  
"Yes, well, I plan to reunite Anna with Van Helsing for one night. That way, he will not know whether he had a rather passionate dream of her or if she had really been there. Of course, she'll have to be under a trance I am able to cast." Adam said making hand gestures to flow with his tale. "Hopefully, this union will result in a child," he concluded. "A child that I shall keep control over. A power child with monster slaying in its blood from mother and father, and I shall control what monsters will be slain." Adam had to admit his plan was sounding better and better every day. He would never have to worry about a monster slayer ever coming after Madeline or him.  
Victoria took into consideration what Adam had told her. A child like that could even be of service to her, especially from its father's pursuit of inhuman creatures. "I have a plan. My coven and I resurrect this Anna Valerious, and you use her and Van Helsing's love to spawn this child you speak of. Then when the child is under your control, the child will protect us as well as serving your own purposes." Victoria proposed.  
Adam grinned an evil grin. "I love that plan. So, we have a deal?"  
Victoria sent him an evil grin of her own and leaned over the table. "Not yet," she replied. "I have another request for you, since the one you request of my coven is such a large risk."  
Adam leaned over the table as well and asked, "Yes," as he enjoyed having her so close. She had the smell of roses, and it drove him crazy because as a mortal, he loved the roses his mother would pick for him.  
Victoria traced Adam's face with her lovely fingers. "You and I share a night of passion, or day of passion, if you prefer." Her voice was alluring, and Adam liked the deal even more. He had not let himself feel love or any aspect of the feeling. He decided that committing acts of passion with the beautiful witch would not harm anything.  
Adam leaned over and nipped at the skin on Victoria's neck before standing up to stare the witch in the eyes. Her blue eyes were full of mystery, and Adam sought to know the mysterious witch. "I believe we have a bargain," he replied suavely. Tomorrow during the daylight hours we shall fulfill the first leg of our bargain."  
Victoria smiled. "Perfect, now go call in some women from the town for your blood thirst. We'll need to sacrifice one for this Anna Valerious. So, we need to examine all the possible hosts."  
Adam loved the sound of tasting human blood again because it had been too long since he last tasted the blood of a human. He could barely wait around another moment before replying, "My pleasure."  
Adam raced out the doorway and out into the chilly night air. He sent out telepathic waves to put all the young women in Salem in a trance. He could feel their struggle against his mind, but they all succumbed to his power. All arose from their beds and traveled for the forest where Adam called for them. Adam stood waiting for the prey to arrive, and he sensed Madeline at his side. "We have company coming, darling," he told her.  
Madeline grinned at him because she, too, had not fulfilled the hunger for human blood. The animal blood sustained life, but it was bitter and cold. The warm, sweet blood of a mortal was what she craved desperately once she knew it was to arrive. She stared up at her father in awe because he had such strong powers, and she envied those powers. 'Someday, I want to hypnotize mortals into flocking to me,' she thought.  
Finally, she saw the pale nightgowns of the Salem women. All the women lined up and stood quietly facing Adam. Victoria emerged from her house after seeing the women line up. "Madeline, your papers," she said as she handed them to their owner.  
Madeline took the papers and slipped them inside her dress. "Are we to travel to Egypt tomorrow?"  
"No, there is no need. My coven can resurrect this woman. But, we must travel to Transylvania where her prye is. I do suspect there is a pyre, or your father would have mentioned her body when I spoke of a sacrifice."  
"Superb." Madeline replied.  
Madeline waltzed up to the closest woman in line. It was a young woman, who had dark curly hair and dark eyes full of painful years. Madeline planned on feasting upon her blood when Adam intervened. He stepped between the two women and told Madeline, "No, let us use this one as Anna's sacrifice." He ran his hand along her face and felt the pain she'd gone through in her life. "This one is going to hang anyway. She has been accused of witchcraft."  
Victoria knew the young woman before the two vampires was not a witch because her aurora was that or a normal human. "She is no witch." Victoria claimed.  
Adam nodded in agreement. "Quite true, but she will hang for it no matter her innocence."  
Victoria told her coven members, "Ladies, take this women to a house and lock her in. We'll be needing her later." The coven did as they were asked by leading the woman away from the line of others.  
Adam stepped aside from his daughter. "Now, Madeline, you can choose your prey."  
Madeline stepped up to the next woman in line and didn't even bother to take in her appearance. She bit down into the woman's neck and savored the taste she'd missed during the trip up to then. The blood was warm and sweet and tickled Madeline's taste buds. She knew when she'd taken enough of the woman's blood and released her grip on the woman. She helped lay the woman down on the ground to recover from her blood loss, and Madeline saw her father quenching his hunger with a brunette girl at the end of the line. By the time Madeline looked again, Adam had the girl sitting down on the ground and leaned against a tree. All the women were still in their trance, and Adam was trying to help the brunette girl's blood to quickly replace what was lost. He wanted to make sure that the girl could leave with the other women and be home in the morning to prevent the townspeople from revolting against the witches. Madeline knew he would get to the woman she had bit, who was a black haired woman in her late twenties. The woman's eyes still were clouded from Adam's trance, but Madeline could tell they were honey colored.  
"Do not worry." Madeline said quietly to the woman. "You will have no recollection of tonight."  
Madeline soon retreated to the house where she would stay for the night and laid down in a luxurious bed. The mattress was soft and had expensive blankets adorning it, and Madeline felt more at home there than any other place she'd visited. Her blankets were not such exotic materials, but they were expensive and had the same soft feel to them. Madeline put the thrill of the blankets out of her mind and closed her eyes. 'Tomorrow, will be the day that two loves reunite. A love that strong should not be denied,' she thought right before she drifted into a deep slumber.  
Adam and Victoria went into Victoria's house. "I've changed my mind, let us begin our terms of the bargain." Adam said to her. Victoria was not surprised the vampire had changed his mind because she knew he wanted to rest during the day for the long and risky journey that lay before him. She could not help but wish it was because he found her intoxicating, but she was almost sure that was not the case. She could sense he was attracted to her, but not deeply enough for her liking.  
Adam stepped forward and tasted Victoria's lips, and he enjoyed her kiss. Victoria enjoyed his deep kiss and kissed back harder than the kiss she was given. She had to admit that even if he didn't feel love for her, she enjoyed loving him at that moment. Adam's hands against her hips interrupted her thoughts. His grip wasn't overpowering or too loose, but Victoria felt the lack of enthusiasm. 'Ignore it,' she told herself. 'Just enjoy the moment.'  
Adam did enjoy the feelings of lust that he hadn't felt in a long time, and he tried hard to seem like he wasn't so eager for each moment. Adam had made many bargains since his life as a vampire, but he realized he was experiencing the best bargain he'd come across. Adam felt Victoria's hands brush past his face before settling on his neck, and he noted how hot her skin felt. Her skin felt as though there was a fire burning beneath the skin, and Adam savored the warmth since he was usually very cold to the touch. 'Maybe my skin is not as cold as I thought since Victoria has not mentioned it.' Adam thought.  
Victoria pulled away from their kiss and stepped over to her bed. She threw down all the curtains with a flick of her wrist, and the help of her powers. The candles in her house burned brightly and lit up everything in the room, but Adam only took notice of how the candle light reflected off of Victoria's hair. Victoria used her powers to disrobe and was left standing in her chemise as her dress appeared to hang itself upon a chair. She spun around to face Adam, who did not even show a change in emotion at Victoria's change of clothes. He continued to stare at her with his vivid green eyes, which held fascination. 'At least there is some type of emotion there.' Victoria thought.  
Adam walked up to Victoria, who promptly sat down upon her bed. He leaned down and caressed her cheek, marveling at how soft it was to the touch. "Is there anything I need to know about witches?" Adam asked her.  
Victoria took a deep breath. "We like to use our powers at any time of the day, but we tend to levitate ourselves, the bed, or any else we wish to liven things up."  
Adam slipped out of his coat and draped it over the footboard of the bed. He climbed onto the bed and leaned up close to Victoria. "Well, this shall be a new experience for me," he admitted, sounding as calm as ever. Then, he leaned down against Victoria and pinned her to the bed."May our entire bargain be this pleasurable." Adam told her.  
Victoria smiled. "We can only hope," she replied before Adam's lips were upon hers once more. 


	5. Chapter 4: Carl's News for Van Helsing

Author's Note: Sorry it's taken this long to get Van Helsing in the story.  
  
Madeline woke up the next night and was surprised to find that everyone was ready to depart. So, Madeline jumped up and was about to enter her carriage when Victoria entered the house. "Madeline, I have made sure you have a hot bath ready if you wish to use it."  
Madeline smiled sweetly. "Thank you," she replied. "I do believe I shall freshen up."  
Victoria adored the young vampire's curly hair and sweet nature. 'Seems almost odd that she is a vampire.' Victoria said. She quickly left the house and ran into Adam, who was standing right outside the house breathing in the crisp night air.  
"She's not like me." He said to Victoria in regards to Madeline. "Well, not her vampiric behavior. She feeds from mimicking my ways, which I mimicked from my maker. But, her actions do not betray her as a vampire. She is too sweet natured, and I reach the conclusion that it is because her mother gave up her life so that Madeline could live. That love her mother passed to her changed how she lives, how she thinks. She only wants a love to be rekindled between these two humans, and she does not care what the two monster slayers could do for her. She could use it against the two later on that she was the sole reason that Anna was revived." Adam looked over to Victoria. "Of course, your magic will be a huge role, but you were only enlightened to the job after I accepted Madeline's offer to use my time to bring a woman back from the dead."  
Victoria crossed her arms. "I do believe there is some loving quality in your daughter that my coven could even use. We have not felt love towards mortals since they burned witches at the stake or hung them for everyone in town to see. Like you, we seek a profit from wasting our time to help a human. Perhaps if we had Madeline's love for all things, we would not always need a profit to help those in need."  
Adam was quiet for a moment. "I do not wish to help this Van Helsing," he admitted. "My love was killed the first time by a Van Helsing. Even though the two Van Helsings are not related, I am still vengeful. Dracula brought my lover back to me, and I will never forget that. Now, Gabriel Van Helsing is the killer of Dracula." Adam glanced over to see the mixed thoughts that shown in Victoria's eyes. "So, I am also only helping this Van Helsing out for a profit, which you know of already."  
  
Van Helsing still could not shake the hollow feeling that resided in his heart. He had been the cause of Anna's death, and he could not forgive himself. It was not his fault that he could not control his actions as a werewolf, but he did not feel that justified anything. Anna was gone because of him, and he had lost all the love that had grown between them in the short time they knew each other. Sleep was no longer something Van Helsing wished for because nightmares haunted his dreams. He would see Anna fighting against a werewolf, and she would be tackled against some random piece of furniture in Dracula's castle. Van Helsing would remember that he had been that werewolf, and he was forced to watch Anna die over and over again in his nightmares. So, Van Helsing sat up each night wishing sleep would never come, but it always did.  
Van Helsing would always awake to Carl shaking him, and Van Helsing would grab Carl by the shoulders every time from being woke so suddenly. The very first time it happened, Carl nearly wet himself from shock. But every time after that, and it had been many times, Carl was solid and ready for it. Carl also never failed to ask, "Dreaming about Anna's death?" Van Helsing never had to answer Carl because he knew Carl was only asking because of habit.  
Van Helsing was back at the Vatican again, but he was given a chance to rest. It was daylight, and Van Helsing was laying on his bed staring at the ceiling of his quarters thinking about Anna. She had been a beautiful woman, even if she was worn down by the constant battle with the worst evils known to man. She had been Van Helsing's match in every possible way, and both had come to realize that. Van Helsing had even planned to have a life with Anna after Dracula was vanquished, but that plan shattered into thousands of pieces shortly after Dracula's death.  
Van Helsing sighed a heavy sigh. "Anna," he whispered, "you had survived werewolf attacks before. Why weren't you able to survive mine?"  
Carl burst into Van Helsing's quarters out of breath and sweat drops upon his forehead. "Van Helsing," he panted as he doubled over. Van Helsing sat up on his bed and watched his friend recompose himself. The friar had journeyed with Van Helsing to Transylvania to battle Dracula, his brides, and werewolves. He had grown more on that trip than he ever had in the armory under the Vatican, but he had to face a deep loss that he would have never felt in the armory. He too lost Anna, who had become a very good friend.  
Carl found himself able to speak again and told Van Helsing, "I am afraid that the cardinal is sending us back to Transylvania."  
Van Helsing could not control the sea of emotions that were crashing. "What," he yelled out of rage.  
Carl stared down to the floor and let the moment of rage pass. "I know, but there you will want to go there for this assignment. That is why I rushed over here."  
Van Helsing was outraged with his friend. He felt Carl had gone crazy because the last place Van Helsing wanted to go to was Transylvania. Transylvania was where Anna had lived and died. "Carl, even if the Devil was walking around there, I would not step foot near Transylvania ever again."  
Carl just stared at him as if he hadn't heard a word Van Helsing had told him. "There's a coven of witches lead by two vampires, and they're disturbing Anna's funeral site."  
Van Helsing jumped up off of his bed and stared the blonde friar in the eyes. "They are what?"  
"Disturbing Anna's resting place." Carl said noticing the anger in Van Helsing's voice. He knew that anger would inevitably lead them back to Transylvania.  
Van Helsing could barely control his thoughts. He had enough of vampires, and he was not going to let them disturb Anna's resting place. That was the last place he saw Anna, and witnessed the vision of her amongst her family in the clouds. "Carl, we head to Transylvania, immediately."  
Carl nodded. "I thought that was how it would be."  
The friar followed Van Helsing out of the room into the secret room in the Vatican where the cardinal kept all the information for assignments. Van Helsing burst inside, and the Jinette stared at him. "Van Helsing," he addressed.  
"Tell me everything about these vampires." Van Helsing demanded.  
The cardinal nodded. "Of course."  
Jinette's assistants started up the projector, and Van Helsing saw a portrait of a man and an adolescent girl. The two resembled each other, and Van Helsing assumed the girl was the man's daughter, although the man appeared to young to have a daughter that age. "These are our vampires," Jinette said, "This is a portrait they had painted not long ago. Very little is known about these two, but we did find out that Dracula brought the male's lover back from death. A man saved her soul from the vampire she was, and Dracula brought the vampire back. But, the man and his lover had a child together. She was born dead, and the mother sacrificed herself for her daughter to live."  
Van Helsing replied. "Hmm, peculiar behavior for vampires."  
Jinette ignored the comment as the projector replaced the vampire portrait with one of several women, twelve to be exact. "Our witches?" Van Helsing asked.  
"Yes," the cardinal anwered. "They are from America, and we have heard they are very dangerous."  
Van Helsing was quiet for a moment, but said, "All right, I see who I am against. But, what are they doing at Anna Valerious's funeral site?"  
Jinette held his head low. "We do not know, Van Helsing. I am afraid you must learn that for yourself."  
Van Helsing clenched his teeth. "I most certainly will," he replied. "I plan on leaving as soon as I have armed myself."  
Van Helsing headed to the armory, and Carl followed without having to be asked. The cardinal called out, "Van Helsing!" Van Helsing turned around, and Jinette told him, "Do not let your personal feelings for Anna cloud what is right. Stop these villains!"  
"That's what I planned on doing." Van Helsing replied as he entered the armory with Carl at his side. They needed to gear up for a fight against vampires and witches. So, that meant they needed guns, ammunition, silver stakes, crosses, and garlic. Van Helsing turned to stare at Carl as he asked, "If we are separated, you would kill whatever evil you come across, right?"  
Carl nodded furiously. "Yes, Van Helsing. I do not intend to let evil stain Anna's rest."  
Van Helsing patted Carl on the back. "Good man," he told Carl. 


	6. Chapter 5: Anna's Awakening

Madeline stood at the end of a cliff overlooking the Black Sea, even though it was very hard to see in the dark, and she didn't want to watch what was going on behind her. She wanted Anna to live, but she could not watch the witches sacrifice the young woman they dragged on the journey. The dark, curly haired woman that Adam stopped Madeline from biting. Madeline had watched the young girl named Amelia, Amy as Madeline named her, during the journey. Amy did not fear being used as a sacrifice. "There are far worse things could have been done to me," she had told Madeline as the witches pulled Amy out of the carriage.  
The witches had brewed a potion as soon as they arrived, and Madeline headed straight for the cliff's edge. She regretted having to use Amy, and she began to doubt whether it was for a good reason. She could sense that there was some dark forces surrounding the resurrection, and she despised its bitter taste. She dropped down and picked up a handful of dirt and studied it closely. The wind picked up and carried the small particles from her palm, and they flew until they had disappeared to Madeline's eyes. 'What if this is all wrong, what if this causes more pain than anything else?' Madeline asked herself.  
Amy drank the witches brew like she was asked, and she immediately felt faint. Victoria grabbed her and levitated her in the air. Victoria set Amy back down upon a wooden table that had been constructed for the resurrection. Amy was in and out of consciousness when Victoria began speaking in a tongue that was unrecognizable to her. For the first time in her life, Amy felt free. She felt no weight of anything, no guilt, no anger, no fear. She felt as though she was floating, and she was sure it was a dream. So, Amy let her mind slip into that dream and hoped never to have to wake from its pleasure.  
Madeline turned around to see Amy's spirit hovering over the body that was once hers. It was soon going to be the host body for Anna Valerious, and that left a lump in Madeline's throat. 'Don't let this be a mistake,' she pleaded to anyone and no one at the same time. Then she turned back around facing the sea. She shut her eyes tight and tried not to concentrate on what was happening. There was dark purposes surrounding the air, and Madeline didn't want to let them in. She wanted Anna to live for Gabriel Van Helsing because she had felt the loss he'd left on that very cliff.  
Adam watched fascinated by the power the witches welded, and he found himself in awe when they sent Amy's soul into the afterlife. He felt a chill down his spine as Amy's soul departed, but he could not take his eyes off of the second portion of the resurrection. Victoria and her coven joined hands and began chanting in their tongue. Adam felt the wind pick up, and the candles the witches lit were glowing brighter than they should have been glowing. In the middle of the incantation, an ear-piercing scream came from the clouds, and a small twister dropped down to Amy's lifeless body.  
Madeline heard the scream and looked up to the clouds. There was a disturbance up there, but the twister was blocking a clear view up in the clouds. Madeline was sure that she saw forms of people in the clouds scurrying about. "What's going on up there," she whispered. Before Madeline could ponder the thought any longer, the ear-piercing scream had traveled all the way down the twister to Amy's body.  
The twister faded and left the body of Anna Valerious, not Amy. Anna was thrashing about screaming, "Velkan! Help me!" But, she soon realized that she was no longer with her family anymore. She was back on earth being stared at by many women. 'Witches,' her mind screamed after seeing their outfits.  
Anna jumped up and tried to get a hold of what was happening. "I'm dead, who are you?" Anna screamed.  
Victoria broke the circle and stepped forward to Anna. "You are no longer dead, my dear. My coven has resurrected you at the request of Adam Peter Christophen." Victoria pointed to Adam, who stepped into the candlelight. He grinned, revealing his sharp canine teeth, and Anna immediately backed up.  
"A vampire! No, this can't be! Van Helsing--" Anna started.  
Adam cut off her sentence. "Van Helsing, the reason why you have been resurrected. My daughter and I came here on a visit to see werewolves. We stood here on this very cliff and felt Van Helsing's pain from losing you. So my daughter, Madeline... Madeline, come over here darling and meet Anna Valerious."  
Madeline slowly stepped up to Anna, and she admired the woman. She had gorgeous chestnut curls and dark eyes. Madeline curtsied in front of Anna, and Anna backed away from her. "You're a vampire, too, aren't you?" Madeline felt Anna's fear and nodded solemnly, and Anna's breathing sped up. "Get away from me," she yelled as she ran for an opening between the vampires and witches.  
Adam grabbed Anna by her left forearm and held her in his grip. "I'm afraid that would interrupt my plans," he hissed. Anna squirmed in his grip, but she could not escape his firm grip.  
"Van Helsing destroyed Dracula, how can there still be vampires?" Anna cried out.  
Adam looked at her and pitied her. "Those of us who were not made by Dracula still live on through his death. Now, you will join all of us in a stay at a castle I bought. You should recognize it for it sits in Vaseria."  
Anna felt her anger rising. "How dare you take my family's castle. A vampire should not live there! We Valerious's fought vampires to our near extinction, it is an outrage." Anna fought to free her arm, and Adam grabbed her by the throat.  
Anna labored to breathe because Adam's grip on her throat was tight. "Listen to me," he told her, "You are going to come with me whether it is your will or not. So, don't play these games for I am not one to play games. I lived a rotten life amongst people when I was alive, so I hold no pity for them."  
Adam threw Anna into a carriage and climbed inside. "If you do not pity people, then why am I alive once again?" Anna shouted.  
Adam made himself comfortable and just stared calmly back into Anna's eyes. His response was delayed, "I have plans for you, Anna. Big plans that need the fierce blood of a woman like you. I certainly hold no pity for you, or Van Helsing. That is left to my daughter, who pitied Van Helsing very much."  
Anna leaned back against the soft seat of the carriage. She had many questions and emotions stirring, but she could only ask, "Why would a vampire care?"  
"Even I do not know why my daughter wanted you to live so much. She is a strange girl, indeed." Adam replied.  
Madeline soon joined her father and Anna in the carriage, and she noticed Anna staring at her. She wondered what her father had told Anna, but she did not fret about it. She was far too sickened by the loss of Amy's sweet spirit to care. A voice on the surface told Madeline to forget it, Amy was just a mortal who mattered nothing. But the voice deep down inside told her that was not true, and Amy had meant something to the mortal world. 'Amy will never get to mean something to someone now. Her body switched places with Anna's on that pyre. I saw that when I drew closer. I just thought Anna's soul entered Amy's body and molded it to fit her soul. But, that is not at all what happened. Amy's body and life source switched places with Anna's burnt body.'  
"Neither of you look like vampires," Anna said trying to quiet the voices in her head.  
"We are unique, that is for sure. Madeline is far more unique than I, but I am not an ordinary vampire. Or, I do not think I am." Adam laughed.  
Madeline could not keep quiet. "I saw movement up in the clouds," she said causing Adam and Anna to stare at her.  
"It was the twister, darling." Adam told her.  
"No, it was people. Shapes of people in the clouds when the twister formed." Madeline told her father.  
Anna sighed and shut her eyes. She'd been tore from her family, from the love of her family that she had not felt for so long. She only spent a short time with them, and she found herself back on earth alone taken captive by vampires and witches. "That was my family in the clouds," she told Madeline.  
Madeline drew quiet and remained so until they reached the Valerious castle. Anna wondered how Adam had bought her home from the townspeople. Someone had to have been in charge after her death, so she did not understand why they would give up so easily. But, Anna was glad to see her home again. That was all she was glad for because Adam was pulling her into the castle. 'Since this is my home,' Anna thought, 'I can easily escape. I will try tomorrow during daylight when the vampires are not awake.'  
Adam opened up the door to Anna's bedroom, and she was happy to see that the windows were still there, and she still had the option to escape. Adam shoved her into her room and told her, "You will remain here until the witches come in the morning to bring you to eat breakfast. We shall try to contact Van Helsing as soon as possible, so my plans can be started." He saw Anna eyeing her windows. "Don't even try to escape through those windows because they are guarded by magic."  
Anna spun around to face Adam with a horrified looked upon her face. Her escape plan resorted to getting past Adam and out her bedroom door. She took a run towards the door, but Adam shut the door before Anna could reach it. Anna slammed herself against the door and heard the door being locked, and she beat her fists upon the door. After a moment of rage, she skulked over to her bed and laid down. She thought about what Adam had told her. "We shall try to contact Van Helsing as soon as possible." Anna closed her eyes and saw Van Helsing's handsome face in her mind's eye. "Come after me once more, Van Helsing. Come after me and save me from this prison." 


	7. Chapter 6: Van Helsing's Hope Renewed

Van Helsing had pushed his black stallion, as well as Carl and the stallion that carried him, to their limits riding to Transylvania. He was determined to get there and see what had been going on at Anna's burial site. His mind was all a rage, and he could not think clearly. His thoughts resorted back to Anna and the connection that they both felt. 'There were feelings there.' Van Helsing mind told him. 'We would have made a wonderful team, but better life partners. I had a future with Anna.' Van Helsing's mind also told him, 'A future that you ruined.' Reason did not make the honest truth any less painful for Van Helsing. There was nothing he could have done to keep Anna alive; he was a werewolf that had no objective but to kill. But, Van Helsing remembered the way Anna laid there after she had died, with her eyes open staring off to nowhere in particular. He remembered the instant pain he felt after he had control of his actions again. Even as a werewolf, he howled out of his sorrow; a howl that turned to a scream of anger and sadness as Van Helsing had returned to his human form. 'She saved you from being that horrible creature, and you killed her in return.'  
Carl knew that Van Helsing was fighting with the voices in his head by the grim look upon his face. 'There is so much that he has faced, a large amount that he cannot recall. His past is foggy to him, but that is no longer his top concern. He battles with knowing he caused Anna's death, and he cannot move past that. Even as a scholar, I cannot aid Van Helsing in this matter. Anna meant more to him that I know. She was a special woman, and as stubborn as Van Helsing, but I still saw her as a friend and ally. I believe Van Helsing held her as much more than that, and I dare say he loved her.' Carl stared at his friend trying to see if he could understand more that Van Helsing gave off in his body language, but Van Helsing only showed signs of grief upon his stricken face.  
Carl looked around and noticed they were drawing very close to their destination. He was happy to know that he could finally stop riding and walk. His legs had gone to sleep hours ago, and Carl did not like the horrible tingling accompanied with it. "Van Helsing, we are going to stop for a while up here, are we not?"  
Van Helsing heard Carl speak, and he abruptly dropped the conversation he was having with himself in his thoughts. "Yes, Carl, we stop up here on this oncoming cliff. I want to make sure that Anna's burial site has not been tampered with."  
Carl nodded in response as he stared upon the sun that was a little over a half an hour away from setting, leaving the sky a mix of colors. The sky was decorated with pastel pinks, blues, and purples. 'It's like a painting.' Carl noted. 'So perfectly crafted like the paint on an artist's canvas. Breath-taking.' Carl noticed that even Van Helsing saw the sun set.  
"Carl, the last time I looked upon Anna's beautiful face was in a sunset a little like this." Van Helsing said rather quietly.  
Carl nodded and said, "Yes, I saw it too. Perhaps she knows you're here, and this is her greeting to you."  
Van Helsing turned to look at his friend, the stricken look was no longer present. Van Helsing quickly looked upon the sun set again, and Carl saw a hint of a smile. Van Helsing liked Carl's assumption, and he believed that Carl was correct; or at least he hoped Carl was correct. He wanted to see Anna again so badly that he ached inside to think about her. 'But, she had been in so much peace in her passing.' Van Helsing thought. 'I just can't stop thinking about what our future could have been had she lived.' But, Van Helsing resorted to what Carl had said. "Perhaps you are correct, Carl."  
Van Helsing and Carl reached the cliff's edge and dismounted their horses. The pyre that held Anna still stood, it was mostly ash, but some wood still remained. Van Helsing took a deep breath before he could conjure up strength to walk over to the pyre. He found the pyre empty of Anna's corpse, and there was a young woman lying on the ground before him. The girl resembled Anna, mostly because of the curly hair, and was dead. Van Helsing could find no source of death for the girl. "Carl," he said shakily. "I fear something evil has taken place here."  
Carl nodded nervously. "I do believe you are correct, Van Helsing. What happened to Anna's body?"  
Van Helsing stared over at the empty prye then down at the girl. "Carl," he said slower and more calmly. "I think someone has sacrificed this girl for Anna."  
Carl cursed and backed away towards his horse. "Van Helsing, this is evil work. We made sure Anna had peace and made it into Heaven with her family. If someone has pulled her soul from Heaven, then they have--"  
"Disturbed more than Heaven, I'm sure." Van Helsing stated. He stood up and walked over to his horse. He gave the deceased girl one last glance then told Carl, "Come, Carl, we have to find where they took Anna." Then, Van Helsing mounted his horse, which began to trot.  
Carl, clumsily more than quickly, mounted his horse to catch up with Van Helsing. "But, how do we find her?"  
Van Helsing pondered the question for a moment. He exhaled and told his friar friend, "I'll know where she's near. Have no worries about that."  
  
Anna dreamed of Van Helsing, and she could see him coming for her. He was with Carl, and she thought, 'Good, sweet Carl,' as she dreamed. She was in the carriage with Adam once again, and Van Helsing was catching up to them, and Anna could feel the joy of it. She would be free from the vampire and his evil, whatever that happened to be. There was a dark purpose that he had mentioned but not told Anna, and she feared that purpose. In her dream, Van Helsing reached her, and he jumped atop of the carriage. He stopped the carriage by pulling the reins of the steeds pulling the carriage. Adam hopped out of the carriage to stop Van Helsing from ruining his plans. But, Van Helsing leaped upon Adam, stabbing a silver stake straight through his heart. Adam turned to ash before her eyes, and Van Helsing looked up at her with a smile. Anna leapt into his arms and kissed him like she had kissed him the night she died. He pulled away and looked her in the eyes, his stare felt so real to Anna. He was about to speak when Anna was awakened from her dream.  
Victoria had come to fetch Anna for breakfast. "Come, Anna, breakfast awaits you."  
Anna scowled at the witch woman for waking her from a pleasant dream world. "I am not hungry," she lied. Anna was hungrier than she'd ever been in her life, but she would rather stay there and fall back asleep to her lovely dream world.  
Victoria smirked. "I am afraid you do not lie well, and you have to come with me."  
With a flick of the wrist, Victoria's power had pulled Anna off of her bed and over to where Victoria stood. Victoria grabbed Anna's arm tight and pulled her from the room. Anna struggled, but it was useless. Victoria's grip was as strong as Adam's had been. 'If I can't escape, then I will find out why they want me.' Anna thought to herself as she pushed dark curls out of her face with her free hand. "What do you want from me?"  
Victoria smiled evilly. "You are dying to know, aren't you?" Victoria replied, avoiding the question.  
But, Anna was not about to give up. "Why do you want Van Helsing?"  
Victoria looked Anna in the eyes, sending a cold chill up Anna's spine. "He is strong," she told Anna.  
The answer was too vague for Anna's liking. "That answers nothing."  
Victoria glared at her. "You shall have to wonder why we need you, Anna. I am not about to ruin good planning just to shut you up. I could shut you up with just a small amount of magic."  
Anna took Victoria's hint and stopped asking questions. She was stubborn, but she knew when to pick her battles. This was a battle would not end victorious for Anna, so she reserved her attack for a more convienent time. 'What are they planning?' Anna wondered. 'It has to be something that involves battling monsters, or why else would they need Van Helsing and myself?'  
Anna was greeted by a team of witches in the kitchen. Victoria sat her down and bound her waist and legs to the chair with silk scarves that appeared from thin air. Anna still had no way to escape, but she did not intend to escape with so many witches present. She upon each of the witches, most were young but held the wear of many more years than the face showed. Only one witch truly looked young, and she seemed to be the friendliest.  
The other witches left the young witch with Anna, who could not escape even if she wanted to. So, they saw no harm in leaving Mae, the young witch, alone with Anna. Mae quickly left and came back with a large plate for Anna. Anna looked down and saw many foods. There was bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, sausage, gravy, and biscuits. Anna had not seen all of those foods and was in a bit of shock, but Mae told her, "We used magic."  
Anna looked up at the witch, who held out her hand. "I am Mae." Anna took Mae's hand wearily, but Mae did not use magic on Anna. "I'm sorry about all of this," she told Anna. "But, I do not hold the power to help you. But, please, eat, for you must be hungry."  
Anna picked up a fork and began to eat, savoring the flavors of the foods. Mae left and brought back a large cup filled with milk. "I almost forgot it. You would have had a dry meal without it."  
Anna smiled, and she realized she liked Mae. "You don't seem like the others." Anna told her.  
Mae nodded. "Yes, I am the outcast of our coven," she admitted. "I am more normal. I have magic, of course, but I have more humane feelings. Feelings being that I am disappointed that you must be here against your will, and I find it monstrous that you are held captive in your own home. But, Adam has promised Victoria something for our part in holding you here."  
Anna's eyes lit up at that. "So, you know why I'm being kept here?"  
Mae shook her head. "Sorry, Anna, they did not tell me what the deal was. They never tell me much of anything because they know I'd tell."  
Anna was disappointed once again that she still had no answer to why she was there. "I believe that it has to be to battle some type of monsters, or Van Helsing would not be part of this plan."  
Mae laughed. "Anna, there are no monsters worse than the ones that hold you captive."  
Anna let out a laugh from the truth. "But, that Madeline seems to be humane."  
Mae nodded. "I like Maddy, that's what I call her. I have not talked with her, but her actions are far different from her father's. He plots while Maddy just wants what is good. But, I don't know if she sees this evil in her father."  
Anna listened to Mae talk about many subjects as she ate. Soon, she was finished with her plate, and the rest of the witches returned without warning. Mae immediately grabbed Anna's empty dishes and headed to wash them. Victoria seized Anna once again and brought to a bathing room. Anna was pushed into the room and told by Victoria, "Clean up, Anna, company arrives soon." Victoria clapped and a dress was handed to her. Anna saw the dress was red and black velvet, red on the sleeves, and met forming an X upon the front of the dress, and black on the rest. Victoria hung the dress upon a chair. "And do dress in this. We want you to make an impression on the company that is arriving."  
Anna continued to stare at the door even after Victoria shut and locked it. "Who does she think she is? I would love to kill her, but she has too many powers for me to do that." Anna found the bath filled with steaming hot water. 'More magic, I suppose.' Anna thought. But, Anna found that she didn't care if the water was all magic, she wanted a bath because she wanted to wash away all of the mess she was in. Anna quickly shed the clothes she wore and slipped into the hot water that was so hot it caused her skin to tingle. The water was relaxing, and Anna didn't want to be anywhere else at that moment. She cleared her mind of everything and just gave herself time to enjoy the peace she had. 


	8. Chapter 7: Delaying Van Helsing

Van Helsing traced Anna back to her home in Vaseria, and he wasted no time in making his way to the Valerious home. Van Helsing knew Anna was nearby because his heart told him so. Normally, Van Helsing relied on survival instincts, but he was using an instinct that had never been there until he met Anna. He was using a form of love to find her, and he knew that he was not being steered off of course. He would bet his life that Anna was in her family's manor. Carl was trying to keep up, but his horse was not as fast as Van Helsing's horse. 'At first, I didn't believe Van Helsing could find Anna. But by the way he's rushing, I think I may be wrong.' Carl thought.  
Van Helsing felt his heart pound, and he knew it pound because he was anxious to see Anna again. He was so close, and he could barely control the joy that was rapidly building up inside his body. 'I can finally have a life with Anna. We have another chance to be together.'  
Victoria knew Van Helsing was coming, and she had a plan to keep him occupied until the sun had set. Adam wanted to meet the well-known monster slayer, and he was curious to know if he was good enough for the beautiful Princess of the Gypsies. He wanted to make sure Van Helsing was the man that he had heard about, the man that had killed Dracula. A strong monster killer that supposedly only had one human equal, Anna. Victoria was sure that Van Helsing was the man the lore said he was, but Adam just figured that she wanted to rush the deal. But, Adam didn't want to mess up his plans. He needed to mix Anna's talents with someone that held talents as strong as Anna's. Nothing less would be acceptable for Victoria and Adam's plans.  
Van Helsing dismounted his horse and left him with servants that rushed over to him. Carl was not far behind Van Helsing, and he was running as fast as he could just to keep up with Van Helsing's hurried pace. Since Van Helsing had nothing but Anna on his mind, he forgot to wait for Carl. Victoria sent one of her coven, Tabitha, to capture Carl to keep Van Helsing occupied for a while. Tabitha watched the blonde friar running after the monster slayer, and she was humored seeing the friar's robes flowing about him. He was close to her and would soon be close enough for her to ambush Carl.  
Tabitha waited until Carl was only ten feet from her before she jumped out and grabbed a hold of Carl's arm. "Hello there," she said in a scratchy, abnormal voice. Carl yelled out, "Van Helsing," as Tabitha began pulling him away from the town square and towards the back of the manor. Van Helsing turned around to see Carl being pulled out of sight by what appeared to be a woman. He cursed at this occurrence that hindered him from reaching Anna, but he didn't want harm to befall his friend. So, Van Helsing ran after Carl and his captor.  
Tabitha smiled at the very frightened friar and told him, "Your friend is fast." Then, she used her powers to run even faster than the monster hunter following her did. She found the whole process amusing, and she hadn't been amused in ten years. Being cooped up in that Salem forest never allowed for fun like she was having. Witches capturing villagers from Salem often led to a hanging or being burned at the steak. On a rare occasion, a witch would be drowned. But, Tabitha put that aside as she pulled Carl beyond his limits. She almost felt sorry for the cute-boyish- looking friar, but she was just toying with him. She would leave him for Van Helsing to take back after the sun had set.  
"Don't worry, I won't harm you," she told Carl. "I'm just having a little fun."  
Carl swallowed hard, but he didn't have the courage to speak. He feared the woman dressed in a dark corset top with a black linen blouse under it, and she wore a layered, black cotton skirt that covered her brown leather boots. Her straight long brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail on the top of her head, and she had large hoop earrings dangling from her ears. She looked rather strange to Carl, and he knew she was not an ordinary woman. So, he was afraid of her because of her appearance. "What do you want," he asked trying to maintain the normal tone of his voice with little success.  
Tabitha grinned at him, " I want to keep you and your friend there occupied for a while."  
Carl stared at her wide-eyed. "Then, what," he asked.  
Tabitha told him, "My leader wants to see your friend after the sun goes down."  
  
Anna spent all day first relaxing in the hot water then sitting in a warm blanket daydreaming. Anna finally slipped into the dress that Victoria had brought her, then she looked into the mirror and liked the image staring back at her. "The dress isn't dreadful." Anna said to herself. "I just wonder who will be here?" Anna thought hopefully, 'Perhaps Van Helsing.' Anna closed her eyes and began to see Van Helsing in her mind and all the times he had rescued her when he had come to Vaseria to kill Dracula. She even remembered the strong feelings that she had when she decided that she wanted to have a future with him. Then, that all crashed as she laid on that broken couch in Dracula's castle unable to move or speak before her end. But, she felt justified in saving the man who'd saved them all, and stolen her heart in the process. She wanted to see Van Helsing more than she wanted to escape, which she wanted to do desperately.  
Anna was disturbed by the sound of the door being unlocked, and she turned to see Victoria swing the door open. "Ahh, good, you are ready. The sun will set soon, and your appearance shall be wanted. But for now, come down and have a drink with all of us at the bar."  
Anna accepted the offer, not like she had an actual choice, and followed Victoria down to the bar. Anna did not know that Victoria had mixed Anna's drink with magical ingredients that would put Anna into a trance. Then, Anna would follow the orders that Victoria said while mixing up the drink. Anna sat down in a large, solid wood chair and was handed the reddish purple drink. She was suspicious of the drink, but she was thirsty and took a sip of the liquid. It was a cold drink, and it had an irresistible flavor that Anna adored. So, Anna continued to drink from the cup naive to the fact that the drink was enchanted.  
Victoria watched excitedly since she knew that the drink was enchanted. 'Anna will do everything that the drink's powers make her do. The best part is that she won't remember a thing after tonight. She'll believe it all to be a dream!' Victoria thought enjoying her success.  
  
Van Helsing was amazed at how fast the woman in front of him could travel, but he was glad she was hindered by Carl's inability to travel so fast. He could see Carl, very far ahead of him, struggling to maintain such a demanding pace. Van Helsing knew he had to act quickly and save his friend from the strange woman. "Carl, listen to me. Just stop running!" Van Helsing called out to the friar.  
Carl turned to face Van Helsing as he spoke, but Carl couldn't believe what he was hearing from Van Helsing. If he stopped, Tabitha would drag him along. He didn't see how that would help him, but he was growing incredibly tired from trying to keep up with Tabitha. So, he slowly quit running.  
Tabitha, cursing at the fact that Carl had followed his friend's orders, used her powers to shove Carl against a wall of the Valerious manor. Carl cried out in pain, and he felt a little dizzy. 'I think I'm going to pass out,' he thought as everything began to spin and blur. Van Helsing saw Carl slump over, and he became very angry. He was afraid that Tabitha had killed Carl, so he was action the only way he could at that moment. He drew out his shotgun, and aimed for Tabitha. He had Tabitha aimed up, and he pulled the trigger.  
Tabitha stopped the bullet midair just by holding up one of her hands. Van Helsing let his arms drop a little as he stood staring that the bullet in shock. 'How is this possible,' his mind asked. Tabitha grinned and tossed the small piece of metal aside. "I welcome you back to this village, Mr. Van Helsing." Tabitha said as she curtsied. "I am Tabitha, and I have been sent by my superior to keep you busy until the sun sets."  
Van Helsing became curious. "Why until the sun sets?"  
"Because my superior's employer awakens right at sunset, and he would like to speak with you before everything." Tabitha said dancing around in a wild sort of way.  
"I see, but why should I attend?"  
Tabitha stopped dancing. "Because it would benefit you to meet with him. And, his daughter would be very heartbroken if you declined the offer."  
"Now would she?" Van Helsing asked with a hint of defiance.  
"Yes, now come, let us continue these shenanigans until the sun sets in a little while." Tabitha said to Van Helsing.  
"I'm afraid Carl is--"  
"Out cold, but he'll come to soon enough." Tabitha cut off Van Helsing's sentence. "Come," she said using her magic, which clouded Van Helsing's mind, "Dance with me."  
Van Helsing could not stop himself from walking up to Tabitha and allowing her to dance with him. It was a lovely ballroom dance, that Van Helsing didn't recall knowing. But, Tabitha's powers gave him the ability to dance with ease. Tabitha giggled and enjoyed her time with her playmates. She had not ballroom danced longer than she recall, but she loved it. "Why, Van Helsing, you make a wonderful puppet!" Tabitha exclaimed.  
The sun set quickly, and Tabitha sighed when everything was shrouded in a blue light from the absence of sun. She stopped and let Van Helsing out of his trance. "I fear, Van Helsing, I must release you for it is time to meet with my superior and her employer."  
Van Helsing nodded and began to walk over to Carl. Tabitha grabbed him by the arm. "He will be all right. You go in the front door. I shall see that Carl is taken care of."  
Van Helsing listened to Tabitha, mostly because she used her powers to keep Van Helsing from walking over to Carl. So he walked back around to the front of the manor. He looked up at it before entering right away. 'Just think, Anna is in there.' Van Helsing told himself. 'So, just spend enough time in there to figure out where Anna is being kept.' 


	9. Chapter 8: A Proposition

Van Helsing cautiously entered the Valerious manor making sure everything was safe. He saw no sign of danger, but he felt evil inside. Van Helsing turned to look towards the way where Anna's room was, and he was about to run for her room when he heard footsteps behind him. Van Helsing spun around to see a Victoria, in an elegant crimson colored ball gown. "Welcome, Van Helsing," she told him. "Follow me."  
Van Helsing was hesitant, but he saw that Victoria was not going to play games with him. Her gaze showed that she had powers and would use them if it came to that. So, Van Helsing followed her into the sitting room, where he saw a blonde man standing facing the window watching the clouds pass by the moon. "Welcome, Gabriel Van Helsing, I have waited a while to make your acquaintance."  
Van Helsing saw the man turn around and bow in his presence. Then, he walked up to Van Helsing. "I am Adam Christophen." The man pointed to a blonde, curly haired girl. Van Helsing guessed she was related to Adam. "This is my daughter, Madeline."  
Madeline walked up to Van Helsing and held out her hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Gabriel Van Helsing."  
Van Helsing nodded. "I'm sure it's a pleasure to meet you as well." Madeline smiled at his compliment. Van Helsing noticed that Adam seemed too young to have a daughter Madeline's age.  
"Madeline, darling, could you leave the room?" Adam asked his daughter.  
Madeline was confused by her father's request. "Why, father?"  
"I have business questions for Van Helsing that does not need to be spoken in your presence." Adam told her.  
Madeline gave up easily with just a sigh as she turned to leave the room. Van Helsing saw that her dress had a ridiculously large bow on her upper back. He almost laughed at the sight of her hair hanging over the bow. But, he held in his laugh to keep from being rude since he still did not know why he was there.  
Adam cleared his throat after his daughter left the room. He watched Van Helsing for a moment, and he expected a question. "You're a bit young to have a daughter that age, are you not?" Van Helsing asked receiving a wicked smile from Adam.  
Adam replied. "Yes, I guess I appear to be. But, I am not." Adam saw Van Helsing trying to sort that out, so he began to pace while telling Van Helsing, "I'll clear it up for you. I have not aged in eighteen years."  
"That's impossible..." Van Helsing stated. "Unless... you are--"  
"Undead." Adam finished Van Helsing's sentence. "Quite right, I am undead. Just look upon me, Van Helsing."  
Van Helsing stared at Adam, who grinned to reveal his teeth. Van Helsing felt his rage return when he saw Adam's fangs. Van Helsing was sure he had rid the world of vampires the night he killed Dracula, so he was a little shocked to see a vampire before him. "This is not possible. I killed Dracula!" Van Helsing boomed.  
Adam laughed. "Quite right, Van Helsing!" Adam answered back. "You did kill Dracula, and I was not pleased to hear of his death. But, I am not the same kind of vampire he was. I cannot transform into a monstrous bat. I am just in this form at all times."  
Van Helsing pulled out his shotgun, which he had remembered to pick up off the ground before going to the front of the manor. He aimed the shotgun at the vampire in front of him. "Go ahead and shoot, Van Helsing." Adam told him. "It won't kill me. Shoving a stake through my heart, holy water, and sunlight is all that will kill me."  
"Well, I am lucky to have a silver stake with me." Van Helsing replied as he threw down his shotgun only to pull a silver stake from his black leather duster.  
Adam watched Van Helsing charge, but he dodged Van Helsing's attack. Van Helsing turned around to see that Adam was standing a few feet behind him. Van Helsing paused and pretended to put the stake away, but he turned and leapt for Adam. He thrust the stake out, but Adam held his arm off. "Good, I like to see that you are as strong as everyone says." Adam told him.  
Van Helsing feared that he was in more trouble than he had expected to be in. "Are you going to kill me?" Van Helsing cut to the chase.  
Adam laughed. "Of course I'm not going to kill you. You're too valuable to me to kill you. I have something you want back, and I will grant you that if you agree to a few terms first." Adam threw Van Helsing back into a large chair on the other side of the room. Adam looked over to Victoria. "Fetch the drinks," he told her. Victoria departed to retrieve the drinks, one that Victoria had cursed using the same incantation to curse Anna's drink.  
Van Helsing was quiet for a moment as he gained his normal breathing back. "You have Anna, don't you? You disturbed her eternal peace--"  
Adam cut in, "But that doesn't matter to you, does it Van Helsing. You want her back as much as you'd like to kill me, I can see it in your eyes. I know the feeling of losing someone I loved."  
Van Helsing spat, "How does a vampire know love?"  
Adam furrowed his eyebrows, and his green eyes glowed. "A vampire knows love just like a human. I loved a beautiful vampire named Lucy, who gave me the gift of eternal life. I had a cursed life anyway, not being able to be in the sun for a few minutes without dropping dead. The town treated me like I was evil, so I did not fear her bite. She gave me a life full of love, but soon she was taken from me by a man also named Van Helsing. Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, I do believe his name to be." Adam saw the baffled look upon Van Helsing's face. "But, he is no kin to you. Yet, hearing your name sent torrents of hate spiraling through me. I wouldn't have helped you had it not been for my daughter. I give her everything, since Lucy gave her life for Madeline to live."  
Van Helsing saw Adam was telling him the truth, there were no lies in his body language, or the expressions upon his face. "Your daughter is a vampire, too."  
"Yes." Adam replied with sad eyes that made Van Helsing uncomfortable to see. He didn't want to feel sorry for a vampire, a creature of darkness. "Madeline was born dead, but Lucy gave her life up to Madeline. She is such a peculiar child. She has a love for humans, a love that I never even had for them when I was a human. I was shown no kindness from humans, but Madeline wants humans to be shown kindness. I don't understand her. She wanted you to be happy, that is why I risked everything to rally a group of witches and bargain with them just to get here."  
Van Helsing was quiet and was waiting for Adam to reveal more of what had been going on, but Victoria had returned. She picked up a drink and held it out to Van Helsing, who took it cautiously. He did not want to drink it because his instincts were telling him it was not a good idea. But, Adam took a glass from the tray and took a gulp out of it, but his glass was filled with blood. Even Victoria had a glass, and the glass was filled with the same contents as Van Helsing's glass. So, Van Helsing fell for it and drank from his glass. Adam and Victoria had no enchantment upon their drinks, but Van Helsing didn't know anything about an enchantment. Victoria smiled triumphantly to Adam because she could tell Van Helsing liked the flavor of the drink, just like Anna had.  
Adam told Van Helsing. "Now, let us discuss the terms for an agreement."  
Van Helsing stood and asked of Adam, "You swear you have Anna?"  
Adam nodded. "She is here, waiting for you to come save her. She waits in her bedroom for you."  
Van Helsing, who was already under an influence of the drink. "You know I almost went there first. But, this woman stopped me and forced me to come in here."  
Adam smiled at the success the drink had upon Van Helsing, and he was glad that Victoria had such strong magic. "Ahh, she is not a woman, Van Helsing." Adam said touching Victoria's shoulder. "She is a witch, and a damn good one."  
Van Helsing laughed, but did not really process what Adam had told him. The drink in his hand was quickly taking its toll. "A witch, yes, I did figure that when I saw that other one outside. Tabitha, I think her name was. She knocked Carl out, but she said she'd bring him in." Van Helsing took a drink from his glass. "Would either of you know if she did bring Carl in?"  
Victoria crossed her arms and said, "He is being attended to at his favorite place here... the tower."  
Van Helsing nodded. "Yes, he loves to acquire all the knowledge he can. He is a brilliant man, who helped me succeed in killing Dracula."  
Adam steered the conversation back on track. "Anyway, you protect us against the Order that you work for, and we give you Anna." Adam looked over to Victoria, who knew that Adam was lying to Van Helsing. Adam had no intent on letting Van Helsing take Anna.  
It was only a moment after Adam's request that Van Helsing's glass was empty, and Victoria took the glass from him. Van Helsing nodded. "Anything to have Anna back. I promise that the Order shall never have your lives."  
Victoria pulled out a document stating that Van Helsing would protect them from the Order, but it mentioned nowhere about giving Anna up in return. "Sign this and we'll consider it done." Victoria told Van Helsing as she handed him a pen.  
Van Helsing, under the influence of the enchanted drink, signed the paper without reading what it said. He handed the pen and the paper back to Victoria. "Like I said, I'll do anything to get Anna back."  
Victoria handed Adam the signed document, and Adam folded it up and slipped it into a pocket inside of his jacket. Victoria took Van Helsing by the arm and led him out of the room. "I'll take you to Anna," she told him. She grinned wickedly knowing that Van Helsing no longer would have a will of his own until the drink's powers wore off. That would not be for a long time, which Adam and Victoria planned to have Van Helsing sent back to Rome. They would have to drug Van Helsing and Carl to get them back to Rome, but it was worth it just to have their plans fulfilled.  
Madeline reentered the room where Van Helsing once stood, and she stomped over to her father. "Tell me what's going on," she demanded. But, Adam just glanced over to her and walked back over to the window. Madeline lowered her eyebrows and shouted, "What is going on?"  
Adam spun around and stared Madeline in the eyes with a look of fury to match hers. "It is nothing that concerns you."  
Madeline exclaimed, "This all concerns me! I am the reason we came here. Now, what is going on that I don't know about?"  
Adam grabbed his daughter by the shoulders. "It is nothing you need to worry about, now go make sure that Van Helsing's friend Carl is being taken care of."  
Madeline stared hard at her father, but gave in and left the room. Adam took a few deep breaths before finishing his glass of blood. Angrily, he threw the glass into the fireplace watching it burst into thousands of pieces. 'Did she really believe I would ruin my plans by letting her in on what I have in store?' Adam thought angrily, and he called in one of Victoria's coven. "Bring in a human, I'm in the mood for fresh blood," he said. The witch nodded and left the room. 


	10. Chapter 9: Plans Fulfilled

Victoria led Van Helsing to Anna's room and opened the door. Van Helsing entered the room, and Victoria shut the door behind him. She locked the room up before she turned to return to the sitting room. She nearly laughed out loud in wicked triumph to know that everything would go as planned. She rushed to the sitting room to celebrate with Adam. She had to grant Adam more respect than she'd showed him because his planning was working. Now, if he just kept his word, Victoria would be most obliged.  
Van Helsing stepped into Anna's room and saw her standing in front of her window. She was holding back the curtain a little so she could see what was going on outside. It appeared to be one of Victoria's coven stalking a villager. Van Helsing almost believed his eyes to be deceiving him as he looked upon her. But, she had Anna's dark curly hair and proud composure. "Anna," he said softly.  
Anna turned around and stared at him bewildered because she had not realized he had been in her room. Her gaze softened quickly and she smiled brightly at him. "Van Helsing," she said excitedly as she ran over to him.  
Van Helsing opened his arms and embraced Anna as he took in the lovely scent of her hair. He found the love he swore he'd lost the night he'd killed Dracula, but he had all the love in his arms. Anna pulled out of his embrace and put her hands on his cheeks as she stared into his dark eyes for a moment. She remembered all the love she'd felt for Van Helsing before she'd left the world, and she forgot that she was trapped and under a spell. Van Helsing leaned down and kissed her hard as he wrapped his arms around her body. The first kiss was followed by a soft kiss, and then Anna kissed Van Helsing with a passionate kiss.  
Van Helsing savored the feeling of kissing Anna again because he didn't have a whole lot of time when he kissed Anna in Dracula's castle. But, now he had all the time in the world to kiss her. Everything, even the clouded thoughts from the spell, was forgotten as the two kissed for a little longer. Then, Anna pulled away and set her head down on Van Helsing's shoulder. She sounded like she was crying, and she pulled out of his embrace and walked over to her bed.  
Anna sat down on her bed and cried into her hands. She believed that she was dreaming again, and she didn't want to wake to find Van Helsing wasn't there with her. Van Helsing rushed over to her and sat beside her on her bed. He took her by the shoulders and asked, "Anna, what's wrong?"  
  
Anna looked up into Van Helsing's eyes and saw that he was worried about her. "I just don't know if this is real," she admitted. "It could just another one of my dreams."  
Van Helsing shook his head and wiped away Anna's tears. "No, Anna, this isn't your dream. I don't know how I can prove that, but it's not. I'm really here, and you're...you're really here."  
Anna saw the sadness in Van Helsing's eyes and forgot about her own sadness. He was hiding something painful inside, and she could see that he couldn't take it. "Anna, it's been hard for me to accept that I killed you."  
Anna felt her heart stop as he spoke. "You couldn't control it," she told him. "I had to save you because you had saved me so many times before. I may have been broken beyond repair, but I didn't fail you. I saved you from the life of a werewolf, and that was a price to pay for having my life saved by a man that had more bravery that anyone gives him credit."  
Van Helsing held her gaze for a moment and finally let the words sink in. Her death had not been his fault, and he felt a big relief to hear that from her lips. He leaned over and kissed Anna once again. She had cleared the guilt from his mind, and he felt the strange freedom upon its disappearance.  
The spells that Van Helsing and Anna were under took over their wills completely, and they were left in a dream state while the spells ruled over their bodies. Van Helsing slipped his duster off of his shoulders and tossed it aside. Once again, he kissed Anna hard. During their kiss, Van Helsing had shed his boots, vest, and sweater. Anna kissed Van Helsing and slowly pulled him down as she layed down on her bed. She could feel his chest upon hers, and his heartbeat would catch with hers every few beats. She enjoyed how close he was. Van Helsing kissed Anna's lips softly then whispered, "I love you."  
"I love you, too." Anna replied before kissing Van Helsing again.  
  
Carl awoke to a splitting headache, and he soon remembered how he got the headache. Tabitha had thrown him into a wall with magical powers. Soon, Carl found that he was not alone. There were several witches guarding him. But, Madeline was also in the tower guarding Carl. But, Carl had not met Madeline, so he did not think she was a vampire. He believed her to be a very pretty young woman. Her face brightened up when Carl woke up.  
Madeline rushed over to Carl and sat down on the floor beside him. "Good, you're awake. It was getting rather boring up here while you were sleeping." Her skin looked just like porcelain, and her blonde curls were lovely. "Oh, I've been rude. My name is Madeline Christophen, and you are?"  
"Carl, and I hate to be rude but where am I?"  
"In the tower of the Valerious home." Madeline replied.  
Carl sighed. "I must be going. I need to find Van Helsing," he said standing up.  
"Please don't leave." Madeline pleaded since it wasn't very often that she got to talk to a human or even have such close proximity to a human.  
Carl sat back down and saw pure joy in the girl's eyes. "What do you know?" Madeline asked.  
"About what?" Carl replied.  
"About everything. You must know all kinds of things being a friar, or monk. You wear the robes of one."  
Carl was surprised at the girl's interest in his knowledge, but he decided he would tell her what he knew about science. "Well, I created a glycerine forty-eight formula. It instantly bursts into a ball of flames when it comes in contact with anything."  
Madeline's eyes lit up and she asked, "Really? It was your invention?"  
"Yes, it was." Carl replied liking that someone was interested in what he did in his life.  
"What else have you invented?"  
"A gas propelled crossbow that can rapid-fire arrows. It was a weapon that helped Van Helsing on our last trip here. It was a good weapon for killing vampires." Carl beamed.  
Madeline swallowed hard and feared that Van Helsing still had that weapon. So, she decided it was best not to give Carl any sign of her actual nature. "I see you are good at inventing," she told him.  
Carl blushed. "Well, I do feel I'm above average," he admitted. "You know I once invented a creation that held the power to create a light that is equal to the intensity of the sun."  
Madeline feared that creation because of her weakness to sunlight but was intrigued by it. "How did you make such of thing?"  
Madeline saw the excitement grow in Carl's eyes, and she realized he enjoyed telling her about his inventions as much as she enjoyed hearing about them. "Well, I used magma mixed with pure alkali." So, Carl began telling Madeline about every invention he had created in his lifetime, and she sat patiently listening to his enthusiastic tale.  
  
Adam feasted upon a terrified woman's blood, and he found that his thirst was quenched but was unsatisfied. Madeline's defiance had thrown off his guard, and he was trying to figure out what she might do to stop his planning. 'She's a smart girl, she could figure it out. No, I won't let her figure it out. I will keep her ignorant to what is going on. She will slumber nowhere near the rest of during the day because we have to get Van Helsing and Carl out of here. Well, I fear I cannot join the group but Monty will be leading the team. '  
Victoria burst in to find Adam pacing around in a distressed manner. "Adam, what could possibly be wrong? Everything is going the way we planned!" Adam looked up at Victoria, she was entirely too happy for his liking. But, he had to maintain his cool just to make sure that nothing went astray. He would deal with his daughter's behavior later.  
"I'm glad someone is enjoying it." Adam remarked.  
Victoria sighed as she conjured up a glass filled with wine. She took a sip then asked, "I don't understand how you, the mastermind of this whole plan, could not be enjoying the fruits of labor."  
Adam gave her an ice-cold stare. "I will enjoy the fruits of labor far from now when everything is going swimmingly."  
Victoria glanced around the room then asked in a laughing tone, "Isn't it?"  
"No."  
Victoria sat down in a large chair lined with soft, silk pillowing. "Then, enlighten me," she demanded.  
"Madeline is suspicious of something." Adam told her.  
Victoria took a sip of her drink then held up the glass. "I could slip her a little something to make her forget," she suggested.  
"No!" Adam shouted. "You will not bewitch my daughter."  
Victoria just shrugged off his anger. "Relax, I won't do anything to her. But, what are we to do about her new nosy behavior?"  
Adam paced some more. "I'm not sure. But for her slumber, she needs to be far away from the door because of the departure of Van Helsing and his friend."  
"Yes, I trust you will make sure that happens." Victoria stated.  
"Yes." Adam replied as he quit pacing and watched Victoria.  
She eyed her glass once more before finishing its contents. "Good, then I will handle everything regarding Van Helsing's leave. Just don't lose those papers he signed. That's the only way he can keep him at bay."  
"Yes, I know. I don't plan on losing the papers." Adam told her.  
Victoria made the glass disappear. "And, don't let your daughter sneak them away either."  
Adam was about to yell at Victoria for saying such a thing, but he knew she was right. Madeline could easily find the papers and destroy them. "I won't let her find them."  
"Good, now I'd say it is a good time for me to be off to bed. I have a busy day tomorrow." Victoria said as she stood up out of the chair.  
Adam walked over to Victoria and took her hand. He kissed it and told her, "Your magic has made this all possible. I'm glad I had you on my side."  
"Well, I will stay on my side as long as I have a monster slayer off my back." Victoria told him. "And, I do believe that I have nothing to worry about."  
"You would be correct. Besides, if Van Helsing gives you trouble, you could simply remind him of his promise to us. I'm sure your powers could bring the document to you for such an occasion." Adam said.  
"Yes, my powers could do that. But, I don't expect any trouble from Van Helsing later on." Victoria assured Adam. "You know, I don't think I will return to Salem. It may be my home, but I feel like traveling. I want to see the world, bring havoc once more to innocent peoples' lives. Anyway, goodnight Adam and may you sleep well tomorrow."  
"And, may your journey be successful tomorrow." Adam replied as Victoria walked towards the hall.  
"Oh, I know it will be." Victoria answered as she turned around to let Adam see a glint of confidence in her eyes. 


	11. Chapter 10: Suspicions Rise

Carl had talked with Madeline up until the point where she just had to leave because the sun was close to rising. Carl would have talked longer, and Madeline would have loved to listen if her life wasn't in danger when the sun rose. "I'm sorry, Carl, but I must be off to bed," she told him.  
Carl saw the lightened sky and realized he had talked through much of the night. "I am sorry, Miss Christophen."  
"Please, call me Madeline."  
"I am sorry, Madeline, for keeping you so long." Carl said feeling sad that she had to leave because he had been very happy to have someone who was interested in all his inventions just for the work he had put it, and the genius of it all. Van Helsing appreciated Carl's inventions, but for different reasons. Van Helsing just enjoyed that Carl's creations kept him alive on his rather difficult missions.  
"No, Carl, I loved hearing about your inventions. I just wish I wasn't so tired." Madeline lied about being tired, but she had to have an excuse to leave.  
"Sleep well, Madeline." Carl told her.  
"Thank you, Carl. I hope you sleep well when you go to sleep." Madeline told Carl as she departed from the room.  
Carl glanced around and realized there were still witches with him. He swallowed hard and thought, 'I do not believe I will be falling asleep with this group watching me.' He saw the sky was filled with pastel colors as the sun was beginning to peak out from the horizon. It was a cheerful sight, but Carl was distracted when he remembered that he had no idea where Van Helsing was. He last saw his friend behind the manor when Tabitha was holding him captive. 'Van Helsing told me to quit running, and I listened. Then, that witch threw me up against the manor wall leading to my black out.' Carl thought. 'But, what did they do with Van Helsing?'  
Carl stood up, worried for his friend, but the witches rose to their feet and stared menacingly at Carl. So, he quickly sat back down upon the floor of the tower. 'Now what,' he thought worriedly. The witches sat back down as well, but they all kept a close eye on the friar. Carl felt sweat beading up on the back of his neck because he was afraid of the witches. He had already run into one, and it hadn't ended well. He ended up unconscious only to wake up in the captivity of more witches. 'But, Madeline had been here also,' he thought seeing the better side of that situation. 'She was a lovely girl, and she liked my inventions.'  
  
Madeline ran from the tower and down to where her room was. She found Mae outside her room. "I've been looking for you. I hear that Van Helsing will be leaving soon," she said as she took Madeline by the shoulders.  
"Is Anna going with him?" Madeline questioned.  
"I haven't heard." Mae replied wishing she could answer Madeline's question.  
Madeline asked Mae, "Would you do me a favor?"  
"Sure, anything you ask." Mae replied.  
"Go to the tower and make sure that Carl isn't alone with unfriendly faces." Madeline requested.  
Mae nodded. "Yes, I will go check on Carl. I'd hate to be alone with some of my coven, which proves how scary they are. Sleep well, Maddy!"  
Madeline was about to enter her room when Adam grabbed her by the arm. "We need to move rooms," he lied.  
Madeline didn't suspect him of lying though. "Alright, if you can tell my if Van Helsing is leaving with Anna."  
Adam smiled at her. "Why wouldn't he be?"  
"Because there is a disturbance in the air that bothers me." Madeline told him.  
Adam laughed as he wrapped his arm around her. "Darling, there is nothing to be worried about."  
Adam led Madeline to the room where they would sleep for that day. "Madeline, I will be back in a moment. I must make sure that Victoria takes care of everything while I am asleep."  
"Okay, father." Madeline replied as she sat down on her bed.  
Adam closed the door and made his way through the halls to find Victoria. He had to be careful to avoid patches of sunlight that came in through the windows. 'At least it is morning, and the light is not filling these halls,' he thought. He had to walk at a slow pace just so he did not miss a location of a patch of sunlight. So, he found it would be a little while longer than he had told Madeline because he had not known how hard it would be to walk through the hallway when the morning sunlight was shining in.  
  
Mae entered the tower, and she startled the other witches in there. They jumped up from instincts, but they rolled their eyes and sat back down when they saw it was only Mae. Carl eyed her suspiciously and gave off a vibe full of fear because she was another witch. But, Mae ignored the vibe and sat down beside Carl. His eyes were wide and full of fear, but Mae smiled brightly and held out her hand. "Hello, I'm Mae," she said cheerfully.  
Carl took Mae's hand and half-heartedly shook her hand. "I'm Carl," he replied meekly.  
"What are you so afraid of? I don't bite." Mae said.  
Carl didn't reply to her, he just sat quietly staring at her cautiously. Mae had heard of his run-in with Tabitha, so she chose to bring up that subject. "So, I heard you met Tabitha."  
"You could say that." Carl replied.  
"Yes, she can be a little eccentric, but she hasn't had any fun like that in a long time"  
Carl stared at Mae bewildered. 'Did she really just say that,' he thought to himself. He quickly replied, "I don't believe I'd call it fun. She nearly killed me by making me run at a pace that I never knew I could run. Then, she threw me against the wall."  
Mae realized she'd made the situation worse. 'Well,' she thought, 'At least I got him talking.'  
"And, where is Van Helsing?" Carl asked, even though he was demanding her to tell him rather than asking.  
Mae sighed. "I don't know where he is, but I heard that he would be leaving shortly."  
"Good." Carl said crossing arms. "We didn't even find Anna on this trip, and that was what it was all about."  
Mae was about to blurt out that Anna was there when Tabitha burst into the room. Carl hunkered down at the sight of her, and Mae patted his shoulder to try and calm him down. "Vickie says bring Carl down. He will be leaving soon." Tabitha announced as she gave Carl a mocking smile.  
Carl shuddered, but he was glad to be leaving. He didn't like being there with witches, even though he had encountered worse his last visit to Transylvania. Mae helped him up, and he wasn't fond of her help since he could stand on his own. But, he could tell she meant well. So, he let it go that she was a tad bit annoying. She walked behind him, which he was glad that the other witches were not right behind him. But, Mae made him uneasy just because she was overly nice, but he could tell that was just how she was.  
  
Victoria and several of her coven went to Anna's room to find Anna asleep in Van Helsing's arms. Victoria had a schedule to follow, so she didn't let the scene stir her from what had to be done. She used her magic to pull back the blankets, while her coven members worked to separate Anna and Van Helsing without waking up either of them. But, Victoria was confident that her enchanted drinks would last for many more hours. So, she knew there was not reason to take up time by worrying over things that were foolproof. As soon as her coven had achieved in removing Anna from Van Helsing's arms, Victoria used her powers to dress both of them.  
Then, she told her coven, "Bring him." She walked out, and her coven used all their powers combined to levitate Van Helsing. They slowly followed Victoria to the sitting room, where they set Van Helsing back on the ground. Tabitha soon walked in with Carl behind her, and he began to fret at the sight of Van Helsing laying on the floor and not moving.  
"Van Helsing!" Carl cried out as he ran past Tabitha and headed for where Van Helsing laid.  
Victoria pulled some hexed pixie dust from a pouch on her pocket and blew some in Carl's face. The dust took immediate effect on Carl, and he went limp and began to fall to the hard stone floor. But, Victoria grabbed Carl by his robe and shirt collar to make sure he didn't hit his head and become injured. But, she let him drop softly to the ground by releasing his collar. She tapped him with her foot to make sure that he was unconscious, and he did not respond to her tap just as she hoped.  
Mae stood in horror at what Victoria has just done. She had not suspected that Victoria was going to put spells upon Carl and Van Helsing, who appeared to be under a spell already. Victoria gave Mae a cold stare and shouted, "Go, find something to do!" Mae, frightened of Victoria's power, ran out of the room. But, she was going to tell Madeline about what she saw when night came.  
Victoria walked over to where Van Helsing laid, and she pulled some more of the pixie dust out of her pocket. She blew the pixie dust in his face just to make sure that he stayed asleep during the trip to Rome. She brushed back a strand of Van Helsing's long dark brown hair from his face. He looked peaceful, but Victoria knew the fact that he would believe the night before was a dream would cause him a lot of grief. "Too bad things have to go this way," she whispered to him, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.  
Victoria stood and told her coven, "Get them both outside!" The coven nodded and left Victoria's side as some used their powers to levitate Van Helsing, and the rest levitated Carl. But, they all quickly left Victoria, who waited because she knew Adam was hiding there. "Come out, Adam," she demanded. "I have a busy schedule."  
Adam emerged from behind the corner, but he didn't travel far into the sitting room because it was too close to the light coming in through the doorway and the light coming from the window. Victoria went to him, and he said, "You'll make sure that Van Helsing doesn't remember this as being real, right?"  
"He won't, that drink will ensure that." Victoria told him. "But, I don't believe you came here to make sure Van Helsing is blind to what went on here. So, come out and tell me what you want."  
Adam told her, "I want you to come back here after you've dropped Van Helsing and his friend off at Rome."  
Victoria raised her eyebrows. "I see."  
"There is something about you that draws me to you."  
Victoria smirked. "Well, I planned on returning just to make sure Anna doesn't remember anything, but perhaps I can return for your pleasure."  
"Splendid." Adam replied.  
"Then, I am off." Victoria said turning to go.  
Adam grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. He kissed her hard then let her go. Victoria was stunned, but she did not keep from leaving the manor. But, she did leave Adam with a smile. Adam wasn't sure why he was attracted to Victoria, but he enjoyed feeling lust for someone again. He'd been lonely far too long, and he hated knowing he would be alone again while Victoria was gone. They had only shared one intimate night, but there was chemistry that lingered in the air while they were together.  
But, Adam quickly left to slumber, and Mae returned to the room to find it empty. She panicked and ran to the door. She saw Victoria and the rest of the coven putting Van Helsing and Carl into a carriage. 'What's going on,' she wondered. 'Anna's nowhere in sight, and Victoria's put those two under a spell. I don't like this.' Victoria turned around and saw Mae staring, and she gritted her teeth. "Mae, I thought I told you to keep busy!"  
Mae couldn't speak because she was shaking with fear. Victoria was mad, and she would surely punish Mae for eavesdropping. Victoria sent Tabitha and two others over to Mae. "Mae. Tabitha, Caitlin, and Lily will keep an eye on you until I return. So, don't do anything irrational." Victoria told Mae as she climbed into the carriage with the rest of the coven.  
Tabitha grabbed Mae by the arm. "Come, Mae," she told her, "You have to make breakfast for Anna." 


	12. Chapter 11: Dormant Revenge

Tabitha, Caitlin, and Lily pulled Mae into the kitchen and threw her against a counter. Tabitha straightened her cloak and told Lily and Caitlin, "Watch her. She has become friends with the master's daughter. We can't have her blabbing our plans because the plans will not be foiled because of a witch who barely even knows a basic levitation spell."  
Lily nodded and told Tabitha, "You have nothing to fear. Mae won't be meeting with Madeline any time soon."  
Tabitha nodded and replied, "Good, I'm going to check on Anna."  
Mae shut her eyes and felt like screaming for help. 'Madeline needs to know what has happened,' she thought. 'But, I can't get to her with three of my coven hovering around me like this.' She whimpered and fell to the floor. Lily pulled Mae up by her collar. "You make breakfast for Anna, like you were told,' she spat in Mae's face.  
Mae replied through clenched teeth, "Yes, ma'am." Then, she walked over to the fireplace, and used her magic to light a fire. 'I do know a basic levitation spell. I'm not an idiot like they all think,' she thought as she stared into the fire and wished she could teach them a lesson. But, she let her anger go for the present time. There would be a time for revenge, and Mae knew she would not be the only one to seek revenge on her coven. 'Victoria will regret this, I swear she will.'  
  
Tabitha went inside of Anna's room, and she stood there staring at the unconscious woman. "We're risking a lot for this mission," she said out loud to nobody in particular. "To think we're doing this to get a monster slayer of our own that will be brought up to protect us. It's ridiculous." Tabitha walked over to the side of Anna's bed. "We could have enslaved Van Helsing. That would have been so much easier and would have taken less time."  
Tabitha pulled a pouch of untainted pixie dust from her cloak. Not even Victoria knew she had it, and she would be punished severely if anyone found out. Only Victoria was allowed to have pixie dust, and Tabitha stole a pouch out of Victoria's room. But, Tabitha grabbed a little bit of the dust in her hand and whispered an incantation. She was hexing the pixie dust to wake Anna up instead of letting her sleep from Victoria's enchanted drink. Tabitha just wanted Anna to suffer because it brought her joy to see others in pain.  
The hex set, Tabitha blew the dust in Anna's face. After the dust was gone, Tabitha quickly departed to leave Anna alone with her thoughts. 'Anna will be devastated when she realizes she's all alone.' Tabitha thought. 'Such a shame.'  
Anna could feel the fatigue and drowsiness fading away, and she tossed around in her bed. "Gabriel," she whispered just before she opened her eyes. Anna didn't believe it when she found herself alone. "No," she said out loud. "This isn't right, Van Helsing was here." Anna could feel her throat grow scratchy from fighting back tears. She just couldn't believe that the previous night was all a dream because it had been too real. 'Van Helsing was here, he had to have been.' Anna's mind was telling her that her whole night with Van Helsing had been a dream, but her heart refused to believe it.  
Anna pulled her legs up to her chest, and she cried desperately wanting to believe that Van Helsing had found her and made love to her the night before. But, there was a horrible hollowness that filled Anna's soul as she began to doubt that Van Helsing had ever been there at all. Her crying ebbed, but she was left sitting on her bed in a delicate state of mind. She felt her spirit was broken, and she didn't want to leave her room ever again.  
Tabitha was standing outside of Anna's room, and she entered without Anna's permission. "Hello, Anna," she said receiving a miserable look from Anna. "It's time for you to come downstairs and have breakfast."  
"I'm not hungry." Anna replied as she laid back down on her bed.  
Tabitha rolled her eyes and pulled Anna up with her magic. Anna glared at her and shouted, "Leave me alone!" But, Tabitha was not sympathetic and pulled Anna off of her bed and onto the floor. Anna just sat on the stone floor not looking up at Tabitha. So, Tabitha grabbed her by the collar of her dress and pulled her up onto her feet.  
Then, Tabitha pulled Anna out of her room and led her to the kitchen. Anna struggled the whole way because she really wasn't hungry and wanted to be left alone in her room. "Why don't you listen to me?" Anna pleaded. "I just want to be alone!"  
Tabitha slammed her down into a chair, and snapped her fingers. Lily shoved Mae over to where Anna was. Anna saw the look of fear in Mae's eyes and began to fear that something was ill fated. Mae set a plate with the same breakfast foods Anna had been presented with everyday since she was in the captivity of the witches and vampires. "I'm sorry, but I'm not hungry."  
Lily laughed, and her red hair bounced. "Dear girl if you don't eat, you'll make yourself sick."  
"That doesn't bother me." Anna shot back as she pushed the plate away from her.  
Tabitha put her hands on Anna's shoulders and squeezed hard, making Anna wince. "You'll eat if we have to make you," she hissed.  
Mae used her magic to shove Tabitha away from Anna. "She asked to be left alone, and she said she wasn't hungry!" Mae shouted.  
Lily and Caitlin exchanged glances as Tabitha strolled up to Mae. Mae was slimmer and shorter than Tabitha, but she did not falter in her glare. Tabitha slapped Mae hard across the face, leaving a red mark across her left cheek. Mae dropped down to the floor and held her hand to her face. Tabitha leaned down and sternly told Mae, "Victoria put me in charge while she is away, and you were told to keep busy. I won't let Victoria be disappointed in us for letting you do as you please. And, nobody pushes me. Are we clear on that?"  
Mae nodded in response, but she felt like spitting in Tabitha's face. Tabitha accepted Mae's nod and left her alone with Anna. They left to brew a nice drink for themselves, and Tabitha was confident that Mae wouldn't disobey her again.  
Mae sat on the cold stone floor sulking about how she was being treated. Anna touched Mae's shoulders. "Why do you take abuse from them?" Anna asked her.  
"Because their powers are more advanced than my own." Mae replied rubbing her cheek as she stood up.  
Anna motioned her to sit down by her at the table. "Thank you for what you did. It means a lot to me, Mae. You stood up to them even if they do treat you like dirt."  
Mae stared down at the table for a moment. "I would love to escape this coven. They are doing so much that I don't agree with right now. But, that's been the same since I was born."  
Anna leaned on her arms. "Were you born into the coven?" Her interest was spiked because she had never seen a witch until she was brought back to life and captured by some. Mae seemed unlike the rest of the witches.  
"Yes, my mother was a respected witch in their coven, so that is why they put up with me." Mae replied. "But I'd love to get away from them."  
"What are they doing in secret? I know there has to be something going on because there has to be a reason they need me." Anna whispered.  
Mae was about to tell Anna what was going on when Tabitha, Lily, and Caitlin returned. "Mae," Tabitha said.  
"Yes?" Mae inquired.  
"Go find us a human to have some fun with. I miss that one I dragged around yesterday. Cute, little guy too bad his friend spoiled my fun." Tabitha bragged to Lily and Caitlin about terrorizing Carl's well being the day before.  
Mae sighed and received a sympathetic look from Anna as she rose from her chair. Mae felt sorry for Anna. 'There is no reason for her to go through a pain like this. Next time I'm left alone, I'm spilling everything to Anna. She deserves to know that Van Helsing was here last night.' Mae thought angrily.  
  
It was midday before Carl could feel his body want to wake, but he found his body wouldn't listen to what his brain was telling it. Even his eyelids wouldn't lift up so he could see where he was. But, he could hear several horses trotting along, and he could feel a bumpy ride of a carriage underneath him. Carl wondered, 'What's going on? I can't move at all, and my mind's a little fuzzy. I remember Van Helsing was lying on the floor in the Valerious manor. I ran for him, and that witch blew something in my face. I know I lost conscious then. Now, I am...where? I hope Van Helsing is here and safe.'  
Carl continually tried to wake up, but he was struggling with staying conscious. He felt like he was underwater due to the fact that his eyes would not open, leaving him in darkness, and his mind was sluggish on everything now that he was awake for a few minutes. But, he was beginning to get feeling back in his limbs. Carl began to struggle just to move, and he was finding that it was working but was exhausting him at the same time.  
  
Carl's breathing quickened, and it drew Victoria's attention. She glared over at Carl and saw he was struggling to move. 'How can this be,' she thought to herself. 'I gave him a strong dose of the hexed pixie dust. How is he even able to move so soon?' Victoria looked again to make sure she saw correctly, but Carl was moving and was coming out from under the pixie dust's influence quickly. Victoria shook her head. 'He is remarkable. Van Helsing is taller and built sturdier, but Carl is the one who is harder to drug. Who would guess?'  
Victoria let Carl squirm a little more just to see if he would wear himself out before she had to drug him again. But, he showed no sign of giving in to exhaustion, so Victoria pulled a handful of the hexed pixie dust from the pouch at her side. 'A handful should last him,' she figured. Then, she blew the dust into Carl's face and watched him inhale it.  
Carl felt the pixie dust upon his face and instantly thought, 'Oh, no,' right before he fell back into a deep and dark unnatural sleep. Victoria smiled at the sight of Carl's body going limp again, but she found that his immunity to the pixie dust was troubling. No human had come out of the pixie dust's effects so quickly. 'Maybe I misjudged him.' Victoria thought as she stared at the blonde friar with a couple days worth of stubble on his face. She was thoroughly confused on how the friar had overcome the pixie dust, but she knew that he would not be awake again until he and Van Helsing were in Rome was again.  
Victoria turned to see Van Helsing apparently having nightmares because he was breathing rapidly and jerking every once in a while. She couldn't help but grin at her diabolic behavior. 'Oh, it's good to have the power to make others suffer. I've suffered far too long without punishing others for it. Now, I take innocent victims as my prey. All well, I plan to make anyone I meet suffer.' Victoria thought as she continued to watch Van Helsing suffer in his unconscious state of mind. "Believe me," she whispered to Van Helsing, "the dreams are far better than the reality you will awake to." 


	13. Chapter 12: Return to Rome

Madeline woke to a disturbing vibe in the manor, and she went to investigate. She immediately went to find Mae, who she knew would tell her the truth. But, she found Mae was being bullied by three of the witches in the coven. Madeline felt outraged that they would push their own around, and she cleared her throat so that Tabitha, Lily, and Caitlin would look up at her. Madeline could tell by the look in their eyes that Tabitha was the instigator, and the other two were just her back up. 'Let's see them take on me.' Madeline thought.  
"Leave Mae alone. You're being cruel to her for no reason."  
Tabitha held her hand to her ear and said, "I'm sorry, I think I heard you wrong. Did you just demand me to leave this pathetic witch alone?"  
Madeline felt her confidence soar. "Yea, that's right. I did." Her fangs were growing sharper that normal, and her eyes glowed with anger.  
Tabitha strolled up to Madeline and looked down into her glowing green eyes. "I don't believe you have the right to tell me what to do." Tabitha threatened.  
Madeline hissed and made Tabitha jump back. Tabitha saw Madeline's eyes glow brighter as the green consumed all the whites of her eyes. Madeline jumped forward and hissed at the witch again, and she loved every ounce of fear that Tabitha was giving off. Tabitha had never seen a vampire on a rampage, and she didn't want to see it now.  
Madeline had never felt a rush like she was experiencing, but she liked it. She was about to lunge for Tabitha's neck when a hand grabbed her and held her back. She turned, angry at whoever stopped her attack, and stood face-to-face with her father. Immediately, her rampage ebbed and left her vulnerable to her father's scolding. "What were you doing?" Adam boomed, making Madeline cringe.  
"I was protecting Mae." Madeline said quietly.  
Adam didn't hear anything but mumbling from his daughter. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said. Repeat it." Adam demanded.  
Madeline glanced over at Tabitha, who was smirking at her. 'If I would have attacked her quickly, she wouldn't be so smug.' Madeline thought. She was brought back to Adam's demands as he grabbed her by the shoulders. "I said, I was protecting Mae." Madeline repeated loudly and slowly.  
"Go outside." Adam demanded.  
"No!" Madeline protested.  
Adam's eyes began to glow, but Madeline didn't fear him. She knew he was up to something, and she wasn't going to let him get away with something she didn't agree with. "Go outside, now. Or, I swear I'll make you sorry." Adam growled.  
"You wouldn't touch me. You loved Mother too much to hurt me." Madeline said getting under Adam's skin.  
Adam hissed at his daughter. "I never said I'd hurt you physically. I may just kill your friend here and give Anna a new life, like ours."  
"NO!" Madeline screamed.  
Adam grinned wickedly, and Madeline knew he had won. "All right, I will go outside."  
Madeline left, and Adam scolded Tabitha. "Don't tempt her! Do you hear me," he yelled right in Tabitha's face, making her whimper. "She learns what is going on, and none of us are safe. I love her, but she will be the destruction of this bargain I've made with Victoria. If something were to happen to the bargain because of you, I'd hate to know what Victoria would do to you." Adam grinned wickedly in spite of the fear he had evoked in Tabitha. He walked away from her then turned to her as he was nearly out of the room. "And mark my words," he told her. " I won't save you from my daughter's wrath again."  
  
Victoria smiled at the sight of Rome, not just because they could drop off Van Helsing and Carl, but because she was glad to see a place she had heard rumors about for years. Rome had been a booming society in ancient times, and that was intriguing to Victoria. But, there was no time for sight seeing because she and her coven had work to do. Monty said to Victoria, "We are close now, Madam."  
Victoria nodded. "Thank you, tell me when we are close to the Vatican."  
"Yes, Madam." Monty replied. He didn't like what he was forced to do. He wanted peace to come to Van Helsing, like Madeline had talked about. He knew that what Van Helsing would wake to would not be peace.  
Carl once again was regaining his consciousness, and he fought to wake up. But, his body was so sluggish from the extra dose of pixie dust. His eyelids seem to weigh a ton each, and his body was paralyzed from the heavy fatigue, a side effect of the pixie dust. 'There must be a way to wake up,' he thought to himself. The thought was delayed, and Carl felt he was trapped in his own body. He felt the dark grip of unconsciousness take hold of him once more, and he fell back into a spell-induced slumber.  
Victoria thought she saw Carl show signs of consciousness, but she looked closely to see she was wrong. Carl was in deep sleep, and she sighed from relief. 'I was worried he would need another dose. But, I see that last dose is still working its magic. He will be in that state of sleep for a while now. I hope.' Victoria thought.  
Van Helsing was having unpleasant dreams, even though they weren't really dreams. They were chaotic flashes of the days at Transylvania. He saw flashes of the cliff overlooking the Black Sea, then flashes of chasing Tabitha behind the Valerious manor. He saw many flashes of his meeting with Adam, he saw Madeline in several of the flashes, he saw the document he signed, and he saw Anna. He felt his body mourn for her, since he was under the belief that she was still dead.  
Victoria saw Van Helsing was suffering again, and she kicked him in the ankle to make him stop sighing from distress. It was getting on her nerves since he sighed that way every few moments. She stared at the monster slayer and saw that his battle worn face looked peaceful even if he was not. Victoria yawned and twirled a patch of her hair on her index finger. The trip was very dull when all she had to do was watch the two men in their enchanted sleep.  
Monty shouted to her, "Madam, we are nearing the Vatican.  
Victoria's interest was revived, and she said, "Good. Ride straight for the gates," she instructed.  
"Excuse me, Madam, but we will crash if I do that." Monty replied.  
Victoria rolled her eyes at Monty's ignorance. "No, I will use a few spells to turn us invisible and to open the gate." Immediately, Victoria began chanting in her native tongue for spells, and the carriage became invisible to all who looked upon it. She continued chanting as the gates to the Vatican approached.  
Monty started to cringe as the gate drew exceedingly close, but the gates flew open before the carriage struck them. Monty let out a relieved sigh, and he drove until he heard Victoria's voice from inside the carriage, "Stop!" He pulled on the reins of the horses, and they halted.  
Victoria and her coven, some had sat with Monty and a few with Victoria, pulled Van Helsing and Carl out of the carriage. They didn't bother levitating either man because they were just going to leave them in the large open space in front of St. Peter's Basilica. Victoria helped pull Van Helsing away from the carriage, and she saw that half of the coven she'd brought was pulling Carl away from the carriage also. "Okay, my coven, let's leave them here. Surely someone will find them here after all the people we passed. So, let us hurry and return to the carriage." Victoria's coven was quick to follow the orders because they feared someone would catch them there.  
Carl could feel a bit of consciousness again, and he was sure he was being dragged. He was also sure he was being dragged along a stone floor, but he was too incoherent to even take a guess where. Finally, he was no longer being moved, and he lay in a world of darkness waiting for something to happen just to give him a sense of where he was. He hated feeling trapped, but he could not shake the feeling. Mentally, he cursed Victoria for putting him under a spell and depriving him of his primary sense, his sight. Carl also wasn't keen on having his brain feeling so sluggish. But he was stuck on the thought, 'Where am I?'  
Carl heard voices, they sounded distant, but they had to be closer than they sounded since his senses were distorted. He heard Victoria's voice, and he happened to focus on her saying "someone will find them," and he realized that Van Helsing had to be there. 'At least that gives me one less thing to worry about. But, what will find us worries me now.' Carl thought in a panic.  
Carl also heard a distinct sound of a carriage moving away, and he knew that he and Van Helsing had been left possibly for dead. 'Now would be a good time to wake up,' he thought. But, his body was not cooperating with him, and he gave up trying. He could feel sun shining down on his face, but that only told him he was outside. Carl perceived that could be good or bad for them, depending on where they were. 'I don't like this. I want to know where I am.'  
Several monks noticed some commotion from far away, and they saw a carriage take off. But, they had no sign of the carriage leaving. To the monks, it had just disappeared, which was partially correct. Victoria had put the carriage back under the invisibility spell to escape without being seen. But, the monks had caught sight of two men lying on the stone floor. They were too far away to be sure who they were, but when they saw a man in black and the brown robes of the monks and friars, they had a good guess as to the identity of the men. "Say, that looks like Van Helsing and Carl," one of the monks said out loud.  
The monk was correct, and they hurried to get both men to the Vatican. "Goodness, what do you believe happened to them," a monk asked the others. "Don't know," another answered. "Looks like they've been drugged." "Yea, it does appear that way," one more added. "Wonder as to who left them here?" Another monk questioned.  
Carl could hear familiar men talking, and he felt himself being picked up. Each moment that passed, Carl could feel he was closer and closer to regaining his senses. He was beginning to see, everything was blurred, but he could see. His sight was clearing up as he found he was able to speak. "Where am I," he asked sounding incredibly hoarse.  
The monks turned and saw Carl was awake, and they stared waiting to hear what he had to say. But, Carl was still suffering from blurry vision. "Please, where am I,' he asked.  
"You're at the Vatican, Carl," one of the monks replied.  
Carl groaned and he said, "It's been a long journey." The monks exchanged glances and took it that Carl was still under side effects of being drugged. But, they did figure there was some truth in the matter, or Carl and Van Helsing would not have been drugged and dropped off by suspicious people. "I never met witches before, but I never want to again." Carl had no idea that he sounded as though he was babbling nonsense.  
Carl felt drained from working so hard against the pixie dust, but he remembered that Van Helsing had been with him. "Where is Van Helsing," he asked tiredly.  
"He is here, Carl."  
Carl tried to look about, but he was too tired to keep his eyes open anymore. 'It figures. I finally fight off the spell, and I fall into a real sleep,' he thought. But, he stayed awake to ask about his friend's condition. "How is he?"  
"Hard to say, Carl. He is not reactive like you are. But, he is breathing."  
Carl sighed and thought, 'Well, at least there's that much. He is still alive to fight another day.' Then, Carl slipped off into a peaceful sleep. 


	14. Chapter 13: Waking up Van Helsing

(Sorry I was going to put this chapter up yesterday, but my computer wouldn't behave.)  
  
The monks brought Carl and Van Helsing into the Vatican, and left them in a room where Cardinal Jinette could come see them. They were laid down on cots in the medical section of the Vatican, and they had cooled, moist cloths set upon their foreheads. The cloths seemed to do more good for Carl than for Van Helsing. All the monks were worried that their monster slayer was not going to pull through, so they rushed to Cardinal Jinette's office.  
"Do you think he will make it," one of the monks asked the rest.  
"I don't know," another answered. "He looks pretty bad, and he isn't reacting to anything. He didn't react to being carried or to the moist cloths. Carl responded well to both."  
"It's odd, our monster slayer, who has seen about all there is to see in terms of evil, cannot shake something that Carl can." A third monk said.  
Cardinal Jinette was busy, but he looked up at the monks when they entered. "What is the meaning of this," he asked.  
"Carl and Van Helsing, your Eminence. We found them left out by the St. Peter's Basilica." A monk told Jinette. "It appears they have been drugged."  
Cardinal Jinette rose to his feet. "What?"  
"Yes, and it seems that Van Helsing is not pulling through. Carl started to wake up, and he spoke to us for a short moment. But, Van Helsing has given us no sign like that. In fact, we only know he is alive because of his breathing."  
Cardinal Jinette told the monks, "Take me to them, and send for help."  
One of the monks nodded and left to find the monks in charge of herbs and all plants that have healing powers. The other monks led Jinette to the room where Carl and Van Helsing lay. Jinette couldn't believe that Van Helsing was deathly pale, and he had only seen Van Helsing like that when they found him on the church steps, half-dead. 'This can't be the end of Van Helsing," the cardinal thought. 'He is far too stubborn to give up now. Even if he was weakened mentally from the death of Anna Valerious.'  
Carl heard people walk in, and he opened his eyes. He saw Cardinal Jinette, and he sat upright on the cot. "You Eminence," he muttered. Carl was a little weak, but he knew he would be all right. He looked over at Van Helsing and wondered how he was.  
Cardinal Jinette watched Carl stare over to Van Helsing and asked, "Do you know what happened?"  
Carl swallowed hard. "I can tell you what I saw," he told the cardinal.  
"Then, go ahead, boy." Jinette replied a little hysterically.  
"Van Helsing and I found Anna's body was no longer at her pyre, and a woman lay dead there. We went to Anna's village and headed for her manor. Before we went in, a witch grabbed me and took me around to the back of the manor. Van Helsing started to catch up, so she used her magic to run faster." Carl noticed Jinette's face darken at the mention of witches and magic. "I could barely keep up, so Van Helsing told me to stop running. I stopped and angered the witch. So, she threw me into a wall of the manor. I blacked out and came to in the tower." He started to tell Jinette about Madeline, but Jinette appeared to be impatient, so he cut that part out. "When I was led downstairs, I saw Van Helsing lying on the floor with several witches standing over him. I didn't know if he was dead, so I ran over there. But, the head witch blew some sort of powder in my face, and I fell unconscious."  
Jinette took a deep breath and shut his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he stared down at Van Helsing. "Even if we are battling witchery, we can only use the remedies we have to wake up those in an unconscious state. We have nothing to counteract the magic of witches."  
Carl stared over at Van Helsing's face and found he had little hope. 'Come on, Van Helsing. We've seen too much for you to quit now.'  
  
Van Helsing appeared to be near dead to everyone, but he was far from dead in him mind. His dreams would not end. It was still the continuous flashes of everything he had been through. Adam, Madeline, Victoria, and Anna. His mind didn't want to wake just in case he woke to find himself alone and without Anna. His heart was too wounded from the loss of her, but to learn that his mind had created her in a dream that felt so real would finish him off. So as his mind battled whether it had all been real, his health was steadily declining.  
He saw Anna lying in his arms, and he wanted to wake up with her still in his arms. He wanted that so badly, but he was afraid that would not be what he woke to. 'It was real, it had to be,' his mind told him. 'You had followed that witch to save Carl, then were forced into the manor for a meeting with Adam. That vampire who was sneaky. There was also that Victoria, who brought that drink. They told you that Anna was there, so you signed a document to prove you'd do anything to have Anna back. But, what was that document. What did it say? Did you even read it? No, you didn't. So, how do you know that they had to show you to Anna at all?'  
Van Helsing felt his mind stop for a moment as he saw the door to Anna's room open to reveal Anna standing by her window. She was beautiful in that velvet dress, and she didn't see him at first. But, he stood there taking in her beauty and trying to keep from breaking down. She was there in front of him, not dead as he had left her. She was alive, and she turned around to see him. She smiled. 'Her smile, I don't know if I ever paid attention to how beautiful it was.' She ran over to him and hugged him. 'She smelled so wonderful. I can still smell the scent in her hair. That can't be a dream. I've never had dreams so real, even memories I have are not that level of reality.'  
The more Van Helsing thought about Anna, the more he could feel he was waking up. It really did scare him to think that Anna wouldn't be there with him when he woke up. So, he fought off waking up because he didn't want his heart to completely break. Finding out that the previous night was all a dream was not how Van Helsing wanted to wake up. 'I can't go on if Anna isn't there when I wake up. I've been hurting from the guilt of being the cause of her death for so long now, and I don't want to know that she is still gone from me forever. It's better that I stay here dead to the world than wake up and die of heartache.'  
  
When everyone had left the room where Carl and Van Helsing were, Carl stared off into space. He was desperately trying to come up with a way to wake Van Helsing up. His thoughts kept coming up to Anna, and he knew that was the only thing that would pull Van Helsing through. 'We still don't know why Anna's body wasn't on the pyre,' he thought. 'Perhaps if I told Van Helsing that, he would realize that Anna could still be alive. Then, he would want to wake up and hunt for her.'  
Carl congratulated himself and ran over to where Van Helsing laid. He stooped down so he was level with Van Helsing's left ear. "Van Helsing," he said quietly so he didn't draw anyone back into the room. "Van Helsing, this is important."  
  
Van Helsing could hear someone talking, but it sounded distant. The voice stopped, but he heard it again and realized it was Carl saying his name. "Van Helsing, this is important," he said. So, Van Helsing stopped thinking and focused all his energy on Carl's voice.  
  
"Van Helsing, remember that Anna's body was gone from the pyre. She is still out there. We have to save her, Van Helsing, because witches still have her." Carl saw Van Helsing's face twitch. 'That's a good sign. At least he's listening to me.'  
  
Van Helsing heard what Carl said and felt his heart break for a moment. He didn't like that since Carl was there that his night with Anna had not been real. But, he repeated what Carl said, and he realized that Carl was right. 'We do have to save Anna from those witches. I met two of them, and I don't want her alone with them. But, I especially don't want her there with Adam because vampires are not to be trusted. Except maybe that Madeline because even Adam told me that she was different than he was.'  
  
Carl saw Van Helsing starting to wake up, and he was pleased that his speech had an impact on the solemn monster slayer. "That's good Van Helsing. Wake up, so we can find Anna. She's counting on you, Van Helsing, I'm sure of it."  
  
After hearing that Anna would be counting on him, Van Helsing forced himself to wake up out of the unconscious and lonely world that was evil and full of darkness. He would find no comfort there because his comfort still remained unfound and in hands of enemies. Van Helsing balled up his fists then opened up his hands as far as they would go. He moved his head as he worked on lifting up his eyelids. He couldn't see Carl standing by the wall mentally cheering him on, but he knew that Carl had helped him by shining a light through the darkness he'd fallen victim to. A darkness that Victoria had created, and he was sure that he had been drugged from that drink she gave him. 'There is time to deal with her later.' Van Helsing thought. 'Right now, you have to get up and show Victoria that her powers are not going to work on you.'  
Van Helsing finally opened his eyes, and Carl shouted, "Yes!" Van Helsing looked over to his friend, but all he saw was a brown blur from Carl's robes. But, he smirked at his victory. He found the strength to sit up, and he squinted at his friend. "Carl, thank you," he told the friar.  
Carl stopped celebrating and stood still to hear what Van Helsing had to say. Van Helsing glanced to the floor then back up at Carl. "I was ready to give up when I thought that there was a chance that I would wake up and find that Anna wasn't with me," he admitted. "But, you showed me that there was a more important situation. Anna is still out there trapped in her manor with witches and vampires."  
Carl's eyes widened. "Vampires?" He hadn't discovered that little piece of the puzzle on his trip. "Are you sure...but I thought...didn't you... you know...kill them at the death of Dracula?"  
Van Helsing let out a weak laugh at his friend trying to get a grasp on the situation. Van Helsing spoke again, sounding like the Van Helsing that Carl knew. "I killed everything that Dracula bit or created when I killed Dracula. But, Dracula did not bite the vampires I met, thus they did not die upon his death."  
Carl leaned back against the wall for support. There was too much there that frightened him. "That means there could still be hundreds of vampires left in the world that were not bitten by Dracula but by other vampires that had been bitten by Dracula." Carl stammered.  
Van Helsing nodded. "A confusing way to say it, but yes."  
"What are we going to do?" Carl cried out.  
"What are you going to do about what?" Cardinal Jinette appeared in the doorway. "Ah, Van Helsing, it is good to see you awake. We feared the worst when you did not come to as quickly as Carl."  
Van Helsing rolled his eyes. "You were afraid you'd lost your monster slayer, and you'd have to hunt for a new one. It wasn't me you were worried about."  
Jinette frowned at Van Helsing. "We did fear that we would have to replace you," he replied getting an 'I told you so' look from Van Helsing. "But, we also feared that if you did not make it, we would never be able to replace your ability to get the job done." This brought a look of confusion to Van Helsing's face. "You do have some unorthodox ways of completing your missions, but you have given us good results none the less."  
Van Helsing was at a loss for words for a moment. The Cardinal had never told him that they appreciated him, and he was touched. He did give them trouble when he did not feel like going on a mission, but he never let them down. But, his moment of speechlessness was interrupted when Jinette said, "So, Anna is alive?"  
Van Helsing swallowed hard and replied, "I am not sure."  
Cardinal Jinette frowned. "You are not sure. Well, you were sure when you sauntered back in here saying that she was dead at your doing." Van Helsing felt a deep sting to his soul at that remark, and Jinette realized he had struck Van Helsing at his heart. He sighed and asked, "How are you not sure?"  
"Carl and I found that Anna's body was no longer at her funeral pyre. So, I brought Carl back to Vaseria because I had a feeling that Anna was there. I was correct, and she is being held by a coven of witches and two vampires." Van Helsing replied.  
Jinette asked, "How did you not kill all the vampires?"  
Van Helsing sighed at having to repeat his answer again. "When I killed Dracula, all that he had bitten or created died with him. But, the vampires that he had bitten had created other vampires in their time, thus creating God-knows how many vampires that were resistant to Dracula's death."  
Jinette put his hand to his face. "Van Helsing, what of the witches?"  
"I do not know where they are from." Van Helsing replied.  
Carl had his hand to his chin and was thinking hard. He had noticed that the witches all had the same accent. It wasn't quite a British accent, but it was close. 'Perhaps they came from America,' he thought. "I think I may know where they are from." Carl chipped in.  
"Well, tell us, boy." Cardinal Jinette told him.  
Carl took a deep breath and shrugged off the fact that the cardinal referred to him as 'boy' again. "One of the witches talked to me. She was very friendly, but odd." Carl thought back upon Mae and her peculiar behavior, but he shook his head and went on. "Anyway, I believe they might be American."  
"Carl, it is amazing how brilliant you are, but even with that lead we are left in the dark as to where they are from." Van Helsing told Carl.  
"Yes, but there has been more witch hunts in one place in America. Salem, Massachusetts." Carl replied looking very pleased with himself. "A good place to start, don't you think?"  
Cardinal Jinette smiled eagerly. "Well, done, Carl. So, you both rest up today and be ready to leave for Salem tomorrow," he told them.  
Van Helsing raised his eyebrows. "You mean you aren't shipping off right away like usual?"  
Jinette gave Van Helsing a look that was sympathetic but had an irritated look mixed in. "Usually, you aren't drugged by a witch and unresponsive for so long. But, you will be leaving before dawn tomorrow, be sure of that."  
"Yes, your Eminence." Carl and Van Helsing replied in unison.  
  
(Okay, sorry for switching back and forth between Carl and Van Helsing's POV's. Also, sorry the chapter is longer than usual) 


	15. Chapter 14: Tempers Flare

Victoria was proud of herself for a job well done, and she conjured up drinks for everyone in the carriage with her. "Well, we've done it," she said. "We've brought the monster slayer back home without memory of anything." Victoria's coven members laughed, but she saw Monty did not. "Oh, come now, Monty, why the long face?" Victoria mocked. "Do you feel sorry for that murderer and that friar?"  
Monty swallowed hard and said, "I have heard of Van Helsing, he is not a murderer."  
Victoria scowled at Monty's back. "He is a murder of my kind, Monty. I don't care if he murders humans. He hunts down witches, gargoyles, ghouls, and even vampires. You serve to vampires."  
"Yes, Madam, I do serve two vampires." Monty replied.  
"What if Van Helsing killed Adam, or Madeline?" Victoria asked trying to evoke anger in Monty.  
But, Monty remained calm. "I would be angry, Madam."  
"Because they are good souls."  
"Yes, Madam. Adam is a bit over-the-top sometimes, but he has good reasons. His Lucy sacrificing her life so that Madeline could live."  
Victoria rolled her eyes. 'He should have let the little brat stay dead,' she thought. 'She's on the brink of bringing our plan down. Well, not anymore, but she was causing concern.' "Yea, well, Van Helsing is killing good souls, like us, on his quest to rid the world of evil. We are not evil, are we girls?"  
"No," the coven members replied.  
"Yes, Madam." Monty replied dully knowing all too well that she was not a good soul.  
Victoria swallowed the sip of the drink that was in her mouth. She glared at Monty. "Excuse me, Monty, but did you just say that like you don't believe it. Are you trying to imply that my coven and I are not good souls?"  
Monty knew to back down rather than tangle with Victoria. "Not at all Madam. I am just tired, that's all, and my enthusiasm is low."  
Victoria squinted her eyes at Monty. 'This human is on Madeline's side. All well, I've got Adam snared, so I'll get rid of both of them without him caring.'  
  
The next morning before sunrise, Carl and Van Helsing were riding off to meet a ship that would take them to America. Carl insisted on bringing a bagful of supplies, like holy water and salt, just incase they needed something to protect themselves. Van Helsing told his friend, "I don't see what good salt will do."  
"Not just salt, Van Helsing, a circle of salt. I've heard that witches, and their magic, cannot pass through a circle of salt." Carl replied matter-of-factly.  
"Well, that's great. If we are in a pressed situation, I'm sure we can quit running to make a circle of salt to protect us." Van Helsing mocked.  
"Don't mock, Van Helsing, it will work. I'd rather spend the extra seconds making a circle that will save me from a witches power than allow her to use me as target practice." Carl retaliated.  
"Come on, Carl, you know I trust you. After all you did for me while defeating Dracula, I'd trust you with my life any day."  
"Really?"  
"Well, not when it comes to witches, you were the one to get caught by one." Van Helsing replied.  
Carl glared at Van Helsing. "I do recall that you were lying on the ground while I was safe and sound in the Valerious tower."  
Van Helsing glanced over at Carl in a confused way. "I was never lying on the ground. I remember meeting Adam and Victoria. They gave me a drink, and convinced me to sign a paper--"  
"They did what?" Carl shouted. "Why did you sign any paper they gave you?"  
"Because, they gave me a drink that happened to have a spell upon it." Van Helsing admitted.  
Carl sighed and said, "You never drink something an enemy gives you."  
"I was preoccupied." Van Helsing said in his defense.  
"With what, Van Helsing? What made you forget your own instincts?"  
"They promised to give Anna back." Van Helsing replied.  
Carl felt his cheeks flush, and he was glad that there was very little light. "Oh," he replied. "I see now."  
Van Helsing nodded. "But, it still wasn't a good reason to shut my instincts out. Look what happened because of it. I nearly let myself die in a world of darkness because I was sure I would wake up without Anna."  
Carl looked over to Van Helsing after noticing a hint of sadness fill his friend's voice. "We will find her, Van Helsing." All Van Helsing could do was nod.  
  
Victoria arrived back at the Valerious manor to find Adam waiting for her. "Well, what a lovely welcome,' she told him. He smiled and kissed her on the hand. "Things have been abnormal with your absence, Victoria." Adam told her. Victoria's expression darkened. "Abnormal," she asked not liking the sound of Adam's voice when he said it.  
Adam nodded. "It appears you have a naughty witch, who doesn't like taking orders," he replied.  
Victoria sighed. "Mae?"  
"No, Tabitha."  
Victoria stared at him bewildered. "That can't be. Tabitha is like my right hand."  
"Well, it appears she took her authority too far while you were away." Adam said with a very displeased look upon his face.  
Victoria ushered Adam into the sitting room and shut the door behind her. "What happened," she asked when there were no ears to overhear the conversation.  
"Tabitha decided that Mae was not following orders well enough, but she was doing her best. I watched her, and she was trying with all she had. She's not as well worn as the rest of you."  
Victoria nodded. "Yes, she's a pushover."  
"Well, Madeline has become friends with Mae. So, seeing Tabitha push Mae and slap her made my daughter angry." Victoria shut her eyes and shook her head feeling disappointed in Tabitha and feeling angry with Madeline for being too rash. But, Adam continued. "Madeline went into a rampage state and was about to attack Tabitha for a kill when I pulled her back and told her to go outside. I had to threaten turning Anna into a vampire to get her to leave the room."  
"What?"  
"Stop. I have no intention of turning Anna into a vampire. It would ruin everything we have set up." Adam assured her. "But, Tabitha about ruined the whole situation."  
"What is Anna's status?" Victoria asked ignoring the comment about Tabitha.  
Adam sighed. "I do not know. None of us have checked."  
Madeline was on the other side of the door eavesdropping on the conversation between Victoria and her father. She figured that they would discuss the reason that her father was acting so bizarre. Madeline was hooked when she heard Victoria ask about Anna, and her father replied that no one had checked. 'That's absurd,' she thought. 'We check on Anna everyday. We go in her room and bring her down to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.'  
"Good." Victoria replied to Adam. "So, I will get to see if we have succeeded in the creation of a child. If we haven't, then I will be very angry seeing that Van Helsing was dropped off in Rome already."  
Madeline gasped when she heard what was going on. 'What do they want with Anna and Van Helsing's baby,' she wondered. 'I don't understand, but I have to get Van Helsing back."  
Adam replied to Victoria, "He'll be back, I'm sure." Madeline heard that and felt hope.  
Victoria laughed. "Van Helsing won't be back. He won't even remember what happened."  
Adam wasn't sure about that. He had a feeling in his gut that was telling him that Carl had known too much and would get Van Helsing to remember what happened. "What if you're wrong?" Adam asked.  
Victoria's smile disappeared and she said hatefully, "I'm not." Madeline felt her hope die at the deathly serious tone in Victoria's voice.  
Adam didn't budge. "That Carl left here knowing too much."  
"Oh, please, that pathetic kid? That pixie dust surely knocked all the sense out of him."  
Adam shook his head. "No, I think Carl will remember, he's a monk for crying out loud."  
"A friar." Victoria corrected. "And, he may have been immune to a little pixie dust, but the second dose got him."  
"Second dose?" Adam asked losing confidence in Victoria, and Madeline felt some hope return hearing her father sound so paranoid.  
"Well, he was waking up from the first." Victoria said.  
Adam yelled, "Van Helsing was out in one dose of that...drink you gave him. How did Carl, seeing that he was a smaller body build, wake up with no problem?"  
Victoria shushed Adam. "Shh, we don't need everyone hearing this."  
"Maybe we do. Maybe your coven needs to know that you can't even keep a friar under a spell!"  
Victoria shoved Adam, with her mental powers, into one of the stone walls. All she succeeded in was making Adam angry. His eyes glowed, and his fangs grew even longer than usual. He stomped back up to Victoria and hissed, "Listen, I brought you here because you seemed powerful enough to handle this job."  
"And, I only came because I wanted my coven to be protected from Van Helsing and the Order he works for." Victoria replied.  
"So, why couldn't you just force him to leave you alone? Besides, why would he go to America to find you?"  
"The people of Salem were trying their best to get the attention of Van Helsing. They want my coven dead, but I wasn't about to let that happen."  
"Answer my question, Victoria." Adam demanded.  
Victoria told him angrily, "It was your idea for Anna and Van Helsing's child to be used for whatever monsters you wanted slain. So, I figured that would be a good solution to my problem. I figured that if Van Helsing ever came to kill my coven, I'd let him know that his son would defend us against him."  
Madeline, finally knowing why Victoria and her father wanted Anna and Van Helsing's child, got up from where she was crouched. But, she didn't know that Adam heard her bump the door as she stood up. He ran, with the speed of lightning, to the door and threw it open. He saw his daughter frozen in fear, and he knew that she had heard everything. "What have you done," he asked her.  
"What have you done, Father?" Madeline screamed back.  
Victoria, outraged that Adam's little brat was causing more trouble to their success pushed next to Adam. Madeline didn't fear Victoria's scowl, but she did fear the terrified look in her father's eyes. 'Why is he afraid,' she wondered. Victoria shouted to him, "Adam, lock her up. She endangers our plans now." Madeline looked up at her father and saw that he planned to do just that.  
"No," she said to him with tears welling up in her eyes. "You can't! I won't let you!" Madeline took off running for Anna's bedchamber, but Adam pursued her. He caught her only a few feet away from Anna's door.  
"No," she screamed. "Anna! Anna! Listen to me! You're being used!"  
  
Anna heard the commotion on the other side of her door, and she ran over to listen. She heard Madeline screaming, and she heard the part about them using her. 'Why are they using me?' Anna thought. 'Please, tell me.' She listened intently for Madeline to reply, but she heard no more screams.  
Adam had held Madeline's neck until she passed out in his arms. He immediately dropped to the floor and held his daughter to his chest. He felt horrible for making her shut up, but he couldn't let her ruin the work he'd done. So, he stroked her hair while she lay unconscious in his arms. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he laid his head down upon Madeline's. 'What have I done,' he asked himself. 'How is anything worth having to nearly suffocate my daughter?' 


	16. Chapter 15: Many Disturbances

Author's Note: (Okay I'm replying to a review I got. I have the Vampire Chronicle books, but have not read them yet. I have watched the movie Interview With the Vampire, where I did see how Lestat transformed Louis into a vampire. I liked how that was done and used it in my own way. But, I did not intend of Adam being like Louis. But if you feel he is like that, then that's good. I do not want anyone being boxed in on how my characters are. They should create their own opinions about them and love-- or hate--the characters due to those opinions. But, I LOVE all things vampire! Which is why I based the story around Adam and Madeline.)  
  
Victoria, feeling smug about how Adam handled the situation because of what she had said to him, walked up to Adam and just watched him. She rolled her eyes seeing him crying over being strict with Madeline. 'He's lucky I didn't run after her. A stunt like that would have had her dead instead of unconscious.' She put her hand on Adam's shoulder, and he turned his head to glare up at Victoria. "Get away from me," he hissed.  
Victoria glared back at Adam. "I am the reason everything is still salvageable. So, don't think of blaming this on me."  
Adam spat, "What harm would Madeline have done?"  
"She would have told Anna everything. She would have found a way to let her out. Or, she would go after Van Helsing." Victoria replied.  
Adam stood up, with his daughter in his arms. "I don't know how you took control of my actions. I know you weren't in my mind, but you used something to get me to listen to you. But, I won't do it again. I've changed my mind. I want you out of here because I see who you really are."  
Victoria scowled. "Are you breaking our deal?" Adam didn't answer, so she said, "If you break our deal, I will destroy you. Don't doubt me on that."  
"Go ahead and try, Victoria." Adam dared.  
Victoria, seeing she did not put fear in Adam's heart, said, "I will go back to Salem, only if you give me that document Van Helsing signed."  
"Never." Adam replied.  
"Then, I'm taking Anna with me."  
Adam glared at Victoria then held Madeline with one arm so he could pull the signed document from inside his jacket. "Here," he said handing the paper over.  
Victoria snatched it and put it away in her corset. "First, I'm checking Anna."  
"Go ahead." Adam replied.  
Victoria unlocked Anna's door and opened it to find Anna trying to hear what was going on. "Madeline said you are using me." Anna stated backing away from the witch. Victoria nodded as she slammed the door and took a few steps towards Anna. Anna backed up into her bed, then started to go around it when Victoria used her magic to pull Anna up onto her bed.  
"Yes, you are being used. But for good purposes, believe me." Victoria replied pulling out a handful of the pure pixie dust. "Now, you must fall asleep."  
Victoria chanted in the tongue for magical incantations, then blew the pixie dust into Anna's face. Anna fought it, but she couldn't beat the magical powder that sent her into a dream world. Victoria held her hand over Anna's lower abdomen and waited for a moment. She then felt the presence of a child deep inside of Anna. Victoria smirked and felt satisfied enough to leave. "Well, looks like things are going as planned here, even if the events outside this door are not."  
Victoria left Anna's room and locked it up again. Adam left as soon as he saw Victoria leave Anna's room. Victoria told him, "I'm leaving a few members of my coven here to tend to Anna."  
Adam turned around and said, "Leave Mae, she'll be enough."  
Victoria shook her head. "I'm leaving Lily here to make sure Mae doesn't screw up. But I will take Tabitha with me, since you don't like her just like you don't like me."  
"Then, be gone, Victoria Robertson." Adam replied as he went around a corner and out of Victoria's sight.  
"Watch your back, Adam Peter Christophen." Victoria warned even though he didn't hear her.  
Victoria called her coven to her telepathically, and they followed her outside. "Lily, you are staying here with Mae to watch Anna." Victoria said. "We all are no longer welcome here. Adam has made that clear." The coven, who'd formed a circle around Victoria, muttered amongst themselves.  
"Are we going back to Salem?" Caitlin asked.  
Victoria turned to stare at the witch. "No, we aren't leaving this town. I refuse to let Adam take control of all of this. I told him I'd leave the manor, but I never said I'd leave Vaseria." The coven gave a wicked laugh, and Victoria joined in. 'Adam will never know that we are here, and I can monitor his behavior. If he thinks he can cheat me, he is wrong.' Victoria thought. 'I have quite a rage myself.'  
Adam laid Madeline gently down on her bed and brushed back the curls out of her eyes. He felt hollow inside at the sight of his daughter lying there unconscious to the world because of his actions. "Madeline, what have I done? I let Victoria rule me, and this happened." He sank down to his knees and kissed his daughter's hand. "But don't worry, she's gone now. I sent her away."  
Adam got up and sat in a chair across the room, and he put his hands to his face. He never wanted to physically harm Madeline, and he had promised himself to never punish her that way. 'But, Victoria changed your mind. She made you so determined to get the job done that you were blind to all the other things that mattered.' Adam thought. 'Now, Madeline will never trust me anymore. Why did I have to be so stupid?'  
  
Carl was asleep as a ship carried him and Van Helsing to America, and he was dreaming. His dreams were flashes of his conversation with Madeline. He saw her blonde curls, fair skin, and bright green eyes. Green eyes that watched him as he told her about all about his chemistry and science discoveries to make inventions. He would have liked to talk longer to Madeline, but she had to retire to bed. Carl felt emotions stir that were a possible danger to his friar status. He was not a monk, so he still wasn't harnessed by strict rules but was discouraged in taking part in restricted activities. So, Carl feared that he was falling in love with Madeline, even if his mind told him that it was impossible for him to love her after meeting and talking to her once. But, the feeling of love was alive in his heart.  
Van Helsing didn't sleep mostly because he feared sleep. He had dreams of Anna and the night that he wasn't sure if it was a dream that Victoria had put in his head. He needed rest, but he knew he could handle not sleeping. There was enough time to sleep later on the boat, so Van Helsing stayed up and stared at the stars. 'I'm coming, Anna,' he thought. 'I'll come to get you as soon as I can. First, I have to find out who I'm dealing with, the witches that have you.'  
Van Helsing looked over and saw Carl wasn't sleeping peacefully because he appeared to be worried. "Carl," he said quietly. Carl didn't seem to respond, so Van Helsing took out his tojo blades and turned them on. Carl heard the sounds and woke up fearing the worst. He saw Van Helsing sitting in the corner with his tojo blades running, and he turned them off as soon as Carl was awake.  
"What in the blazes are you doing, Van Helsing?" Carl shouted out.  
Van Helsing put his tojo blades away. "You seemed to be having a restless sleep."  
Carl sighed. "It's nothing, really. I've just been stressed."  
"Like I'm not?" Van Helsing asked feeling a little hurt.  
Carl put up his hands. "I didn't mean it like that, Van Helsing, I just meant I'm stressed and don't want to share what's wrong."  
Van Helsing could almost read Carl's thoughts from his body movement, a trick he learned in his profession that served well on his enemies. "There's someone you keep thinking about. Like my constant thoughts on Anna."  
Carl didn't know how to respond. 'How does he do that,' he wondered. 'Should I tell him about Madeline? He is my friend, and I do trust him. But, I'm not ready to admit to myself that I'm in love with Madeline. I don't think I can tell Van Helsing about this.' "No." Carl replied quickly.  
Van Helsing raised one eyebrow. He could see right through Carl's 'No.' "Carl, I know that isn't true. Now, tell me what is going on with you. Is there a woman?"  
Carl felt his mouth go dry. 'I guess there is.' Carl thought. 'But, really, is there? I only met Madeline for a few hours. I don't even know if she is married or not. But, she did love everything I told her about. And, she was very pretty.'  
Van Helsing took his friend's silences as a confirmation. "Who is it, Carl?"  
"No one." Carl muttered, but he couldn't hide the fact that his face was growing red.  
"You're blushing, Carl, so tell me who you met." Van Helsing pushed.  
Carl shook his head and pulled his hood over his face. "No one," he repeated.  
Van Helsing sighed and gave up. "All right, if you don't want to tell me, I won't force you to." He leaned back against the wall and resumed gazing at the stars. 'Who could it be?' Van Helsing thought. 'It had to be someone we met. But, who? We met a few people on this boat, but were there any women traveling solo? Yes, I do recall a girl traveling to meet family, but is that the girl that Carl's so sidetracked on?'  
Carl sat trying to ignore the voices in his head telling him to tell Van Helsing who he was in love with, but the voices were overpowering him. He looked over and saw Van Helsing in deep thought. 'He will figure it out eventually.' Carl sighed quietly and said, "Van Helsing, it is a woman."  
Van Helsing turned to look at Carl, who pulled the hood back down to his neck. "Is she here, on this boat?" Van Helsing asked.  
Carl shook his head, which tousled his blonde hair about. "No, she is not on this boat. We left her far from here," he said as he stared out the window.  
Van Helsing knew that the only two places Carl could have met someone were traveling to Transylvania or at Vaseria. "I see, so was it someone we met as we stopped at inns while heading to Transylvania?"  
Carl shook his head, and Van Helsing sighed. "Well then, Carl, tell me something about this mystery woman you met."  
Carl looked at Van Helsing then down at the floor illuminated by the candles in the room. "She was younger than I am, surely. But, she was very kind and interested in my work. She listened as I talked for hours into the night. She had blonde hair that was a lighter shade than my own-- "  
Van Helsing was not certain, but he had a feeling he knew who Carl was speaking of, and it worried him. 'Please don't be talking about Madeline, Carl,' he thought. He swallowed hard as Carl continued, "and her hair was very curly. I also don't believe I've ever seen a person with such lively green eyes."  
Van Helsing shut his eyes and cursed inwardly. 'I can't let Carl go on falling for Madeline. How could he not know she is a vampire? Poor Carl, he will be crushed. But, I can't let him continue on pining for her.' Van Helsing told Carl, "Carl, I know who you're talking about."  
Carl gave Van Helsing a baffled look. "You do?"  
"Yes. Her name is Madeline Christophen."  
Carl's eyes widened and he nodded furiously. "Yes, but when did you meet her?"  
Van Helsing took in a deep breath. "Carl, there's something I have to tell you about Madeline."  
Carl stared at Van Helsing, ready to hear what he had to say. 'What could it be,' he wondered. 'And, when did he meet Madeline?' But, Carl had a feeling in his gut that the news wasn't going to be good news. He could tell by the Van Helsing's tone that he had something bad that regarded Madeline.  
"Carl, I don't know how to tell you this without it being a shock. But, Madeline is--"  
As Van Helsing was about to reveal Madeline's secret, a man came rushing in the room. "Van Helsing," he cried.  
"Yes." Van Helsing answered from the urgency in the man's voice.  
The man panted and caught his breath before saying, "There is a disturbance on the boat. Some terrible creature is on the boat!" The man was hysterical, and his eyes were filled with fear. 


	17. Chapter 16: The Serpent's Bite

"What kind of creature?" Van Helsing asked as he stood up.  
"Something from the sea, Mr. Van Helsing. Please, save us!"  
Van Helsing grabbed his pistols and ran out of the room. Carl, feeling rather angry and relieved that he did not learn Madeline's secret, followed after Van Helsing. He carried with him Van Helsing's crossbow and arrow cartridges for reloading the crossbow. He ran as fast as he could to find a large serpent had wrapped around the boat and was striking crew workers and passengers that came from below deck. Carl felt sick as he saw the creature's mouth was stained with blood, but he continued on to make sure that Van Helsing didn't find himself lost with no weapon.  
Van Helsing shot one bullet into the tremendously large sea serpent to get its attention. Once he succeeded in doing just that, Van Helsing ran to a safe place, behind the boats large anchor. The serpent attacked the anchor and quickly backed away after injuring its mouth a little from the solid metal anchor. Van Helsing saw the creature spin around and lunge for Carl, so Van Helsing shot all the bullets he had in his two pistols into the creature to save his friend. The sea serpent recoiled from the attacks, and it slithered over to Van Helsing, who found himself defenseless against the creature. "Well, this isn't going well," he said to himself as he ran out of the serpent's path.  
Carl got up after his heart quit pounding and shouted, "Van Helsing, catch!" He threw the crossbow as far as he could just to get it to Van Helsing. The crossbow landed three feet from Van Helsing's reach, but he couldn't grab it. The serpent had grabbed Van Helsing's leg with its tongue, and he was holding on for his life to the boards that the deck was made out of. He was very glad that some were sticking up.  
Carl felt frozen in place. 'Van Helsing's in trouble,' his mind screamed. Carl knew what he had to do, and he ran towards Van Helsing. The serpent whipped its tail in Carl's direction, intending to break Carl's neck. But, Carl ducked just in time and missed the deadly blow. But, he slid to reach the crossbow. He picked it up, ignored its weight, and aimed for one of the creatures yellow eyes. He fired the crossbow and took out the right eye of the creature. The creature let go of Van Helsing and thrashed about at the loss of its eye.  
Carl quickly handed the crossbow over to Van Helsing, who immediately fired arrows into the serpent. Carl sat on the ground and hyperventilated. He had been terrified that Van Helsing would have died right before his eyes. But, he soon heard the clicking of the empty crossbow and saw that the serpent was still far from death.  
Van Helsing looked over to the friar. "Carl, I need to reload the crossbow."  
Carl pulled out a new cartridge and handed it to Van Helsing, who rapidly reloaded the crossbow. He began firing just in time to prevent his and Carl's deaths. Among his wildfire shots, Van Helsing took out the serpent's left eye, leaving it to rely on its heat sensory organ and smell. The creature flipped around and finally caught the heat of the two men before it.  
"Carl, run!" Van Helsing shouted at the creature prepared another attack.  
  
Maddy woke to find her father absent from her room, even though she did not care. He did leave Mae in there and a glass of blood for Madeline. Madeline sat up, and Mae said, "Good to see you awake." Madeline drank the contents of the glass beside her and replied, "Yes, my father's the one to blame."  
"I'd rather be thanking him." Mae admitted.  
Madeline glared at Mae. "Why?"  
"He sent Victoria away saying that she wasn't welcome here anymore. Lily and I are left to take care of Anna, but we're it."  
Madeline remembered what she had heard. "I have to talk to Anna. Then, I have to find Van Helsing."  
Mae said, "You can't tonight, you're too weak and morning is only a few hours away."  
Madeline felt her head ache terribly. "No, I won't leave today. But, I have to leave soon. It's important that I do find Van Helsing."  
"He's in Rome." Mae said flatly.  
"Then, I'll go to Rome." Madeline replied. "Monty will take me there in my father's special carriage that blocks out the sunlight."  
Mae bit her lip then said, "What if you run into Victoria on her way back to America?"  
Madeline ran her hand through her hair. "I think I could rely on my rampage,' she admitted. "It'd be my only hope."  
Mae looked down at the floor. "It sounds very dangerous. I'd be worried about you, and so would your father."  
Madeline rolled her eyes. "Look what he did today. He doesn't care anymore. He's just playing a game right now."  
Mae shook her head. "I found your father in here crying over what he did to you. So, don't shun me for not believing that."  
Madeline laid back down and stared at her ceiling. "Do you know what he and Victoria have planned?"  
Mae nodded. "Yes, the baby, whom Victoria still plans on using to protect our clan from Van Helsing." Madeline nodded to her, and Mae watched the blonde girl, who resembled a porcelain doll. Her curls were so perfect, and her eyes looked like they'd been painted on. Mae wished she could be as beautiful as Madeline was.  
"And, maybe in Rome, I can find Carl and see his lab. The lab where he has all his inventions." Madeline said completely lost in thought as she daydreamed of being in Carl's lab.  
  
Van Helsing fired the arrows into the serpent then ran from the spot he stood. The serpent had taken several shots into his mouth, and it had rolled around a little. But, it had not stopped chasing Van Helsing. It had picked up on his smell and was following him ready to give him revenge for its lost eyes. Carl ran to the sailors and yelled, "Grab any swords you have!" He planned on having the crew attack the snake while Van Helsing kept its attention.  
Luckily, the crew all had a sword. They ran over to the giant snake- like creature and began to slice at its skin. The creature let out a hiss and lashed out at the seamen with its tail. The crew all dodged the swipe, and they resumed their attack on the creature. The serpent was angry and began striking at the air around it just to stop being stabbed. It slithered away quickly and cornered Van Helsing at the front of the ship.  
Van Helsing saw the harassed snake hover its head in front of Van Helsing. It flicked its tongue out to be sure that was who was in front of it. It drew back and opened its mouth, ready to strike. Van Helsing aimed the crossbow and fired arrows into the serpent's nose, causing the creature to fall over and slither about in pain. That gave Van Helsing the time to run from the serpent, and he ran like hell. He knew that the serpent could kill him quickly, and he didn't want to mess around anywhere that was close to it.  
Van Helsing did not see the serpent lash out with its tail until it was too late. The creature hit Van Helsing in the stomach with its tail, which had the power to knock Van Helsing across the ship. Feeling out of breath, Van Helsing laid on the deck for a moment trying to gain breath. He checked to make sure nothing was broken, and nothing was. 'I don't know how my ribs are intact with a blow like that,' he thought.  
Carl saw Van Helsing lying on the deck, and he saw the serpent slowly slithering towards him. "Van Helsing! Look out!" Carl screamed.  
Van Helsing looked over and saw the creature coming at him, and he rolled over and got up on his feet. That was when he noticed that he no longer had the crossbow. It was lying on the deck yards away. "Just perfect." Van Helsing muttered sarcastically. He pulled out his shotgun and shot a few bullets into the serpent's hide. The serpent didn't fall and became very angry. It reared up and hissed at Van Helsing, who jumped to avoid a strike.  
The serpent's jaws clamped down on the ship's railing, and it hissed when it realized it missed Van Helsing. Van Helsing jumped to his feet and aimed for the creature's head, which was the size of a large watermelon. But, the creature was too fast and it slithered out of the way before Van Helsing could pull the trigger. It coiled around Van Helsing, causing him to drop his shotgun.  
Carl gasped and began to shake in fear of the creature again. "Van Helsing," he yelled in fear.  
"Carl!" Van Helsing yelled out as he felt the serpent tighten its body around Van Helsing's waist. "Help!" Carl saw the fear in Van Helsing's eyes, and he knew that Van Helsing needed immediate help because Van Helsing's eyes only held that fear once; the time he was bitten by a werewolf.  
Carl grabbed a firearm that a crewmember had set down, and he aimed at the creature's head. His hands shook terribly, and he knew his aim would not be as promising as Van Helsing's. But, he aimed near the creature's head and pulled the trigger. Carl heard the bang from the gun, and it seemed like an eternity for the bullet to reach the serpent.  
The serpent hissed and tossed its upper body about, but held firm on Van Helsing. Van Helsing could feel the pressure of his body being smashed. His breath was becoming short because his lungs could barely take in air. His arms and ribs felt as though they were going to snap. He scrunched up his face in pain and hoped that the snake would let go.  
Carl panicked and shot into the creature's head again, and was glad to see the creature let Van Helsing go. Van Helsing dropped to the ground gasping for air, but he reached over and picked up his shotgun. He fired the rest of his bullets into the serpent's skull, and was satisfied when the creature dropped to the ground and stopped moving.  
Carl let out a sigh of relief and fell to his knees. He thanked God many, many times as he sat on the deck. He didn't think he could stand up so soon after experiencing such a creature. He looked up and saw Van Helsing walk over to the crossbow. 'Van Helsing is brave, maybe even mad, but he's brave.' Carl thought.  
As Van Helsing reached down to pick up his crossbow, he heard a hiss sound. He didn't even have time to turn around before he felt the serpent's teeth sink into his calf. He let out a cry of pain then turned and saw the creature was finally dead, biting Van Helsing had been its last act of life. Van Helsing remained calm long enough to pull out a knife and slash the jaws of the serpent open so he could pry the teeth out of his flesh.  
Carl saw the serpent lunge out and bite Van Helsing and he ran for Van Helsing as fast as he could. Van Helsing staggered away from the dead serpent and saw the sailors staring at him with wide eyes. Quickly, Van Helsing felt pain in his right calf. "Van Helsing!" Carl cried out, and Van Helsing looked up at the friar. His vision was blurry, and Van Helsing knew that the serpent had carried poisonous venom in its fangs.  
"Carl," he said, "the serpent was poison..." and Van Helsing dropped to the ground unconscious without finishing his sentence.  
Carl stooped down beside his friend and knew that the serpent venom had to be terribly strong, and he began to fret since he had no way of helping Van Helsing. All the herbs he needed were back in Rome. 'Come on, Carl, think. Think!' Carl's conscience screamed to him. "What am I suppose to do," he whispered.  
The captain walked over to Carl and asked, "What can I do?"  
"Get me some herbs." Carl replied stuttering  
"What kind of herbs, kid?"  
Carl's mind wasn't working well in such a pressed situation. "Uhh. Bring out what you have and I'll go through it."  
Before the captain left he asked, "What's the diagnosis for your friend?"  
Carl turned to the captain with fear in his eyes. "If you don't have the herbs I need, he won't make it through the night."  
  
Author's Note: (Sorry about the cliffhanger ending. I'll get more up as soon as I can.) 


	18. Chapter 17: Remedies

The captain left Carl and went below deck. Carl pulled Van Helsing's pants leg away from the wounds, and he winced. Carl turned to a sailor that stood nearby. "Excuse me," he said. The man turned and replied, "Yes." Carl asked, "Could I use that handkerchief around your neck?"  
The man took off the handkerchief and handed it to Carl. "I'm afraid you won't be getting it back." Carl told him.  
"It's ok, sir. Van Helsing did save our ship and our lives."  
Carl nodded and tied the handkerchief right below Van Helsing's knee. He tied it tight enough to keep the venom from spreading. Carl was glad that the moon was full enough to see by or else he would have to work by dim lanterns, which a few sailors set down by him just in case it helped. Carl was shaking badly from nervousness. 'I wish the captain would hasten his pace,' he thought. 'Van Helsing may only have three hours if he's lucky. His symptoms indicate the venom was neurotoxic, so his nervous system will fail. But, his breathing will stop if we don't hurry because the venom will collapse the respiratory system.' Carl didn't like the thought of that at all. He had become friends with Van Helsing, and the truth was they both only had each other for friends.  
Carl looked down at Van Helsing's face, and he worried more. 'And, what about Anna? She's still alive out there. Van Helsing was going to rescue her. Without him, who will save Anna from her captors?' Carl thought hard about the situation. 'How would Anna react if she found out that I could have saved Van Helsing but didn't have time to because the captain won't hurry!'  
The captain returned just as Carl had given up hope of his return. He handed a large crate full of herbs down to Carl. "Anything else I can do?" Carl thought hard about all he knew of medicine and wished he had paid more attention to the monks that had lectured him on it. "Garlic," he shouted. "Do you have garlic?"  
The captain nodded and replied, "Aye, we do in the kitchen."  
"I need a bulb of garlic." Carl stated as calmly as he could.  
"May I ask why?"  
"Because garlic can be used to wash out wounds--if we had sterile sphagnum moss--or it can cure poisonous snakebites. I am judging that since the serpent resembles a snake that the venom would be nearly the same." Carl explained as quickly as he could.  
"A bulb of garlic." The captain replied. "How will you use it?"  
Carl thought. 'Oh, right. Van Helsing would have to be awake to use the garlic.' He replied, "Never mind the garlic. I may need it later if Van Helsing ever comes to."  
Carl dug through the box of herbs and found mint, which cures sea serpent stings. 'Again, something that would have to be taken internally.' Carl thought disgusted but laid out the mint anyway. He found a bundle of flowers that could serve a useful purpose. "Ah, Calendula flowers!" Carl exclaimed. "It will stop the bleeding and help heal the wounds." So, Carl placed several flowers on Van Helsing's wounds and continued to search through the crate. Carl also found comfrey leaves and pulled them apart and set the leaves on the wound. Comfrey had allantoin in it and helped heal wounds. Carl's search helped him find lavender, which would disinfect the wounds.  
Carl came across Thyme and called the captain over. "Could someone make oil with this,' he requested. The oil is an antiseptic." The captain took the Thyme, but asked, "Couldn't you use whiskey?"  
Carl thought and nodded. "Yes, that can be used as antiseptic as well, and I've heard it works on snakebites." The captain nodded and went below deck to get whiskey. Carl found some sage and thanked the Lord. Sage could cure snakebites, and there was a lot of sage in the crate. Carl laid the sage on Van Helsing's leg hoping the herb would help save Van Helsing's life.  
Carl also found Costmary in the crate, which could revive a person with just a whiff of its aroma. Carl was glad it was dried and waved it about near Van Helsing's face. He knew that it a fifty-fifty percent chance of the herb working its magic on Van Helsing's state, but he gave it a try because he was desperate. To Carl's surprise, Van Helsing's eyes opened. "Carl," he asked, "What's going on?"  
Before Van Helsing moved, Carl said, "Lay still, you were bitten by the serpent. I'm trying my best to save you from its deadly venom." Carl saw the fear return in Van Helsing's eyes.  
"We need to return to Rome, don't we?" Van Helsing inquired.  
Carl nodded. "You need better care than what we have here with us," he said.  
Van Helsing laid back and asked, "How will we manage that if I'm in such serious condition?"  
A sailor said, "We have readings from a smaller boat that is heading past us going to Europe. Perhaps we can send them Morris code and get you two aboard."  
"Could you?" Carl asked hopefully. The sailor nodded and hurried off to send word to the other ship.  
The captain returned with the whiskey and handed it to Carl, who pulled away the sage and poured the liquid into Van Helsing's cut. Van Helsing cried out in pain, and the captain asked Carl, "Need anything else." Van Helsing cut in and said, "I could use some absinthe." Carl and the captain exchanged glances, and Carl nodded. The captain did not seem angered by the fact that he had to once again go below deck to retrieve Van Helsing the drink he requested.  
  
Carl was jittery as he and Van Helsing waited for the other ship to come and pick them up. Van Helsing had chewed the mint leaves and felt stronger. But, he knew that was just a small step to his recovery. The serpent that had bit him was large, and he knew that the venom wouldn't be counteracted with just a few mint leaves. He knew Carl was right in heading back to Rome. The monks that studied in medicine would know how to cure him.  
The boat finally appeared out of the darkness, and Carl was glad. He was worried that Van Helsing was still in danger of the serpent bite, and he hoped the boat would get them back quickly. They had only been gone for a day, but Carl hoped that the boat they were boarding sailed faster than their previous ship. The crew was kind to Carl and Van Helsing, they had been told about Van Helsing saving the crew and the passengers from a serpent. They were also told he was bitten by the serpent, and they knew that he needed immediate care. "Carl and Van Helsing?" The captain asked.  
Carl nodded, and the captain ushered them onto the ship. "This ship is the fastest on this sea. We'll have you back to shore by daybreak." Carl raised his eyebrows, and Van Helsing crossed his arms. "That seems a bit too soon to reach shore, doesn't it?" Van Helsing asked.  
"It does seem soon, but it is all the time it takes to reach the shores. I assure you, we will get you to the dock as the sun rises." The captain told the two men. "Now, my crew will show you two to a room where you can rest until morning."  
Carl and Van Helsing didn't argue with the thought of resting. It was something they both needed, but Carl feared of Van Helsing going to sleep. There was still a chance that he wouldn't wake back up. 'Do not think like that,' he thought. 'Van Helsing will make it through this.' He looked over to Van Helsing, who was still pale compared to his normal complexion. 'He is still far from his old self.' Carl thought. 'I pray this ship is as fast as the captain boasts. We need all the time we can get to get Van Helsing back to Rome before the neurotoxins shut down his systems, primarily his respiratory system.  
Van Helsing laid down and shut his eyes. He felt exhausted, and he knew it wasn't just the neurotoxin in his body. He had not slept soundly in days, weeks even. Van Helsing knew that Carl would keep an eye on him as long as he could. Carl was exhausted too, from the journey they had been on. Van Helsing felt his head pound, and he didn't know if he should be alarmed. He fell into sleep before he could give his headache must thought.  
Carl was lying down, but he glanced over to Van Helsing every few minutes. He didn't want to look away for a really long time and find Van Helsing too far gone to be saved. But, Carl could feel sleep overtaking him. He fought it until his eyelids just wouldn't stay open. He let in and fell asleep to a peaceful slumber.  
  
Madeline did not sleep long and was up at daybreak. She was still exhausted, but she sneaked out of her bed and began to pack everything that she would need on a trip, or what she could pack from her room. 'I'll get to the rest of the house a little later. After I have what I need from in here, I'll resume my sleeping.' She packed extra garments and candles mostly. Then, she laid the bag next to her bed and laid back down. It didn't take her long to fall back asleep.  
Victoria stood outside the Valerious manor staring up at Anna's bedroom window. She saw that Lily had pulled the curtains back so that there was a clear view into the window. Victoria could not see anything but what was next to the window, but she knew that Lily would signal her when she entered. Victoria had a spell to put Anna under to keep her from learning anything from Mae or Madeline.  
Lily entered Anna's bedchamber and walked quietly to the window and stood in the window for a moment. She saw Victoria's figure wrapped up in a black cloak. She saw Victoria spread her arms and began to levitate off of the ground. In a moment, Victoria had levitated herself high enough in the air to reach the window, which Lily opened.  
Victoria entered the room and nodded to Lily for a job well done. She walked over to Anna's bed and pulled out a handful of pixie dust. This dust was pure so Victoria could enchant it for her dark purposes. Anna rolled over, and Victoria chanted her incantation on the pixie dust. The dust glowed for a moment then returned to its natural color. Victoria blew the dust into Anna's face and took joy from seeing the gypsy princess didn't even notice the dust.  
Victoria turned to Lily, "She won't remember anything until the spell wears off, and that won't happen until her child's birth." Lily nodded but did not speak. Victoria walked back over to the window and was gone before Lily could look over to the window. She went to the window and shut it after seeing Victoria was nowhere in sight. Lily saw Anna tossing in her bed and wondered what was going on in Anna's dreams to make her restless.  
Anna had seen Van Helsing get bitten by the serpent in her dreams. She did not know the dream was real, and it was a side effect of Victoria's magic. But, seeing Van Helsing so vulnerable made her uneasy. She saw him lying on the deck of a ship, unconscious to the world. Anna heard herself call out to him, but there was no use. Van Helsing could not hear her, and she looked around. She saw Carl drop down beside Van Helsing. She knew Carl would help Van Helsing, and she let her fears rest for a moment. But, her fears returned after she heard Carl's conversation with the captain. "Don't let him die, Carl!" Anna screamed; her voice falling on death ears once more.  
Anna saw Carl search furiously through a crate of herbs and plants to find any remedy for Van Helsing's wound. Anna had never been to the sea before she had died and also when she had been resurrected. But, she had never been upon the seawaters, so she knew very little of the evil that lurked in the depths. Anna knew that she never wanted to meet a serpent after her dream. She did fear that Van Helsing would die before her eyes with her powerless to do anything. 'Please, Van Helsing, don't give up,' she thought.  
Soon she got to the part where Carl revived Van Helsing, and she felt a burden lifted. But, she was aware of Van Helsing's condition and how fragile it was at his current point. She also saw Carl and Van Helsing get on a new ship and be sent to rest. She saw Van Helsing shut his deep, brown eyes and slip into dreams. Carl was not far from sleep when Anna's dreams faded to black and left her mind unconscious but her body awake; again, it Victoria's magic was to blame.  
  
Author's Note: (Sorry if most of this chapter was a little weak. I've been gone all day, and I'm barely awake right now. I just didn't want to leave the cliffhanger any longer.) 


	19. Chapter 18: The Psychic's Reading

Carl and Van Helsing awoke to sunlight shining in their eyes. Carl sat right up, but Van Helsing was groggy from the serpent venom. Carl got up and helped his friend up. "You going to be all right, Van Helsing?" Carl asked worriedly. Van Helsing nodded then tried to stand, but he didn't have enough strength to stand and fell back onto the bed. He rubbed his eyes then tried again with no success.  
Carl helped Van Helsing to stand by allowing Van Helsing to lean on his shoulder. Carl couldn't help but feel his worries return. 'Van Helsing is getting worse,' he thought. 'If we travel to Rome on horseback, he may never make it.'  
"Carl." Van Helsing said. "How much time do you believe I have before the venom collapses my body?"  
Carl thought for a moment. "I would say you have until the afternoon, which is at the minimum of eight hours away. But, you could very well have more hours than that."  
Van Helsing sighed and replied weakly, "We'll never make it there by horseback."  
Carl helped Van Helsing walk outside of the room and take in fresh air. He didn't reply to what Van Helsing had said because there was no reason to lie. They simply could not make it in time on horseback. Carl hoped that Van Helsing had at least the eight hours he calculated the mint would keep the serpent bite at bay. Carl noticed that Van Helsing was weaker than expected, so that caused fear to clutch at Carl's chest. 'What if he doesn't make it?' Carl thought terrified to know the answer.  
"If I don't make it, will you find Anna?" Van Helsing asked looking over at Carl with cloudy brown eyes.  
Carl swallowed hard and found he did not have an answer for Van Helsing. 'How could I find her by myself,' he wondered. 'I'm not trained to hunt down any body.' But, Carl nodded. "I would find her for you, but don't be thinking that way. It's not good luck."  
Van Helsing took a deep breath; his breathing was already becoming irregular. "It's hard not to think that way, Carl, when that 'way' is coming upon me swiftly."  
The captain rushed over to Van Helsing and Carl. "We've arrived on the dock. A dear friend of mine will take you to meet a train that will take you to Rome."  
Carl looked up suddenly full of hope. "A train,' he repeated.  
"Yes, a train. Now, hurry, we must get the two of you onto the train before it leaves."  
Van Helsing even had a bit more energy knowing that a train could save him by getting him to Rome faster than by horse. Carl still had to help him walk, but he felt the weight of his body lessened at the thought of riding to Rome by train. Van Helsing never took the train from the fact that so many people wanted him dead. He was considered a murderer and even had a want out for him. That thought left a dark cloud over the light that had made him feel better.  
"Carl, what if someone recognizes me on the train?"  
Carl looked to him but didn't get time to answer. The captain's friend, who turned out to be a redheaded woman replied, "No one will suspect you while traveling with me. People trust me to keep them safe." She realized she was receiving bewildered stares from the two men, so she introduced herself. "I am Katalena Girade."  
"Pleasure, Ms. Girade. I am Carl, and this is Van--"  
"Helsing." Katalena replied. "Yes, the good captain told me all about your situation through Morris code last night. Anyway, we must board the train. Follow me, please."  
Katalena led Carl and Van Helsing in the back of the train. "Believe it or not, I find this is the best place on the train. Most people don't want to sit back here, and there is a little spot to walk out and see what you've passed. The rail keeps you in that spot while you site-see."  
Van Helsing stopped leaning on Carl and sat down in one of the seats. Carl sat close by while Katalena sat across from them both. She set her hands on her lap and stared at them kindly. She gazed over Van Helsing and said, "Have you tried Garlic for an antidote?"  
Carl shook his head. "No, mint leaves."  
"I see. Did it work?"  
Van Helsing replied tiredly, "I believe it helped get me through the night."  
"Then, it did some good." Katalena replied.  
  
Afternoon steadily approached, and Madeline woke up once again. She made her way past the sunlight patches in the halls of the manor and woke up Monty, who was sleeping in his room. The curtains were pulled to, so Madeline could enter the room freely and not be burned by the sun. "Monty," she said quietly. Monty stirred and opened his eyes. "Madeline, what is the matter?"  
Madeline's lovely face darkened. "I need your help, Monty," she explained.  
Monty sat up and asked, "Tell me more, dear girl."  
Madeline bit her lip then continued. "I have to find Van Helsing, Monty."  
Before Madeline could explain why she had to find Van Helsing, Monty cut her off. "I will help you, Madeline. God knows that man should be with Anna, more now than ever. I don't like this plot that Victoria has concocted. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, and I don't want to see your father take any part in this deceit. He has a good heart, even if it is hardened by his past. He treats the maids, the cooks, all the other workers, and me on his estate better than any man would. Anyway, I want to help you find Van Helsing."  
"I've heard he is in Rome." Madeline replied.  
Monty nodded. "Well, that was where we left him anyway. Darn Victoria, she drugged Van Helsing and Carl then just left them there on the stone floor in front of the St. Peter's Basilica."  
"How long will it take you to pack?" Madeline inquired.  
"Oh, not long. Could you have Mae make me up some dried fruits and meats? And, not to mention something to drink." Monty requested.  
"Sure, Monty. You're helping me, so I will most definitely help you."  
Madeline left Monty's room and raced to find Mae. She had to be careful due to the sunlight pouring into some portions of the manor. But, she found Mae curled up in a chair with a book dropped on the floor at the base of the chair. Madeline stepped around the sunlight and tapped Mae on the hand. Mae jerked awake and stared face to face with Madeline. "Maddy!" Mae exclaimed. "What are you doing?"  
"Monty and I are leaving soon. Could you prepare him some dried fruits and meat? Then get him some water for the trip?" Madeline asked as she crouched beside the chair, where the shadow was.  
"Sure." Mae replied getting up from the chair.  
  
Late afternoon, Van Helsing was having difficulties breathing. He was leaning up against the seat gasping for air. Carl had dozed off, hours before, but Katalena was wide-awake writing in her journal. She stopped writing when she heard Van Helsing's gasps. "Carl, she said loud enough to wake the friar. Carl sat straight up and saw Van Helsing struggling to move air. He jumped up from his seat and pulled out some Feverfew, which could cure shortness of breath, juice that he'd made up the night before while waiting for the ship heading to Europe to pick them up.  
Carl put the bottle in Van Helsing's hand and told him, "Here, drink this. It will help."  
Van Helsing obeyed and found the Feverfew juice vile tasting. 'I hope this works,' he thought. 'Because I cannot take my lungs tightening much more. My chest is killing me.'  
Carl sat back down but kept his eye on Van Helsing watching intently to see if the herb did the trick. Katalena wrote down what she had just witnessed then resumed watching Van Helsing to see if he improved. Neither one spoke or made eye contact because they were too busy watching every breath Van Helsing took in to see if he was getting better.  
Van Helsing felt his lungs take in more and more air every moment, and he was glad that the tightness of his chest had been eased to a mere sting. "Carl," he breathed when he finally was able to speak. "You're a genius."  
"Yes, I'm a genius who didn't pay attention to medical procedures. I just learned all I know about herbs and plants by reading books." Carl replied blandly.  
"Listen," Van Helsing told Carl, "those books just saved my life."  
"It appears they have prolonged it once again." Carl agreed even though he kept a negative attitude.  
Katalena scribbled furiously in her journal so she would remember all that she was feeling during the few moments where Van Helsing's life was dangling by a thread. "Brilliant," she said loudly. "I've never actually been witness to a medical save."  
Carl and Van Helsing stared at the woman oddly. "May I ask where it is you come from, Ms. Girade?" Van Helsing asked as he rested against the seat.  
"I have no background to call home. I am an orphan who traveled the seas for a few years then joined the railroad as a hostess for guests. I give them a comfort while they are on. Usually, I make conversation, just as you have. I ask about their backgrounds and hobbies." Katalena grinned. "Which leads me to my questions. Where do you come from Van Helsing?"  
Van Helsing sighed. "I honestly do not remember. I have ties to Transylvania, but only because I was against a man there. But, this was a past life, which I have flashes of every now and again."  
Katalena's eyes lit up. "How delightfully strange! What do you see in these flashes?"  
"Places I've been that I can't possibly have in this lifetime." Van Helsing replied.  
"Fascinating." Katalena replied. "How about you, Carl, where do you come from?"  
Carl replied, "I've always lived in Rome, in the Vatican."  
"I've heard it's beautiful."  
Carl nodded. "Yes, it is."  
"What kind of adventures have the two of you seen?"  
Van Helsing sighed. 'She's far too interested in my past. I should be careful and leave out any details that could get me into trouble,' he thought. "Carl and I traced Mr. Hyde in London, and I followed him to France. Then, we were sent to Transylvania to aid the Valerious family with a pest problem."  
"I see." Katalena sighed. "It must be fun to have adventures and see the world."  
"As you can see by Van Helsing's condition, they aren't always what they seem to be." Carl told her. "We have been banged up on our little missions."  
"Why were you headed to America?" Katalena asked.  
"Looking for leads on a group of witches." Carl replied and got a glare from Van Helsing for blabbing too much about their mission.  
Katalena raised on eyebrow. "I do believe I know the group you speak of. The Robertson witches. Led by one Victoria Lillith Robertson."  
Van Helsing and Carl stared at Katalena in wonder. "How do you know that?" Van Helsing asked.  
"The good captain and I had a run in with her during my travel on the ship. She didn't like me. I was too much competition to her when it comes to looks. I used to be competition to her until she used a spell to even the proportions of my body out. Now, I look just like the next woman who walks by." Katalena sighed then continued, "I heard she's in Transylvania. There was some argument between Victoria and a man she is in bargain with. He told her to leave where they were all staying. She did leave, but not the town. She remains in that town until...her bargain is complete."  
Van Helsing was curious about how Katalena knew all of that. 'Is she a spy and an enemy to me? Or, is there something else about her that she isn't telling?" Van Helsing stared hard at Katalena, who smiled at him. "Go ahead, say it Van Helsing," she urged.  
"Say what exactly?"  
"That I cannot know all this information without being a spy to Victoria or someone else you are against."  
'How is she doing this?' Van Helsing thought. "Tell me, how can you know all this?"  
"The same way I know that you are keeping a great deal from me." Katalena replied keeping her answer vague.  
"Who are you, really?" Van Helsing pressed.  
Katalena put aside her journal and pulled a stack of cards from a pocket in her skirt. She untied the cards and sat down on the floor. "Tell me what your thought on tarot cards is, Mr. Van Helsing." Katalena demanded kindly.  
Van Helsing crossed his arms. "I believe they hold no real meaning. It is just good mind tricks for people that are gullible."  
Katalena held the cards out to Van Helsing. "Shuffle the cards."  
Van Helsing took the cards and shuffled them well. Then, he handed them back to her. She sat still for a moment and took in the vibes in the air. "Okay, watch and learn something about tarot cards, Mr. Van Helsing."  
Katalena set a vertical line of cards facedown, then a horizontal line face down, and a final vertical line face down. At the bottom of the vertical row, she set a card face up. It was a birth card. "You were born 1432, Mr. Van Helsing." Van Helsing and Carl exchanged baffled glances as Katalena placed another card above the birth card. "Shortly after you murdered Vladislaus Dragulia, your purpose in life was complete." She set another card face up on the spot above the Death card; it was a rebirth card. "You were reborn in 1862 to serve your purpose once again. You were sent back in the haggard form you owned in the previous life--back before you were taken into Heaven." Van Helsing watched the woman carefully as he gaze caught hers and gave him a chill. She continued as she set a card face down. The card had an angel on it. "The archangel, Gabriel, whom you share the same name, left you near death on the steps of the Vatican."  
Carl and Van Helsing stared at each other and had a feeling that Katalena was telling them the truth. Katalena set down another card, and it was a picture of a knight in armor. "You became a Knight of the Holy Order, a protector of men sent from Heaven to once again demolish evil that only Satan could set upon this earth." Another card was set down. It had a man running on it. "On your way to save all mortality from evil, you have been forced to run. They call you murderer." Van Helsing felt the sting of that word.  
Katalena set another card down. It had a picture of a woman on it. "On your quest to save the Valerious family from being stuck in purgatory, you met a woman. Anna Valerious, Princess of the Gypsies." Carl and Van Helsing were glued to their seats and did not take their eyes off of Katelena. Van Helsing felt his heart beat faster at Anna's name. Katalena placed another card down, on the horizontal row. It had a knight victorious over his enemy. "You defeated Vladislaus, or Dracula to so many, once again." Another card was placed. It was another death card, but there was a woman lying dead on the grass. "On the quest to save you from being a werewolf, which led to Dracula's death, Anna's life was taken."  
Van Helsing turned away, but Katalena continued. She set down a rebirth card. "Anna's life was renewed, unnatural, but renewed none-the- less." Van Helsing resumed his gaze upon the tarot cards. Katalena drew a card but did not place it down right away. She looked up at Van Helsing then sat the card down. It had a man and a woman lying on the ground, locked in a kiss. "There was a night of passion that was clouded by dark forces." Van Helsing stared down at the card and thought, 'Then that night with Anna, was real. I didn't dream it?'  
Katalena drew another card and set it down. It was a knight bleeding. "You were attacked by a sea serpent on your quest to learn answers about the witches keeping Anna." She drew one more card and paused for a moment. She looked up at Van Helsing, "Shall I continue?"  
  
Author's Note: (For anyone who knows how to use tarot cards, I apologize for this chapter. I made up the part about the tarot cards for the purpose of my story. I will use my little knowledge of tarot cards again later. I'd also like to shout out to Hollysgirl because she has read my whole story and has given me some wonderful reviews. Thank you!) 


	20. Chapter 19: All Roads Lead to Rome

Author's note: (Sorry for another cliffhanger last time but I've been too busy to complete two consecutive chapters. Anyway, for story purposes, I am making the time it takes to get to Rome shorter. Thank you for reading.)  
  
"Yes." Van Helsing and Carl replied. Van Helsing glanced over to Carl, who quickly stared at the floor.  
Katalena set the card down. A wounded knight stood at a fork in the road, one way led to the castle--life--and the other led to fire--death. "You are at a crossroad. I cannot tell you what happens next because the present is too chaotic. There are too many disturbances, but I can assure you that the cards do not lie and are not mind tricks."  
"Yes, I see that now, and I apologize for what I said earlier." Van Helsing added.  
"This card means life and death. If we can get you to the Vatican before the serpent venom takes over your body, then you will go down the path to the castle, which is life. If this train is stalled at all and keeps you from reaching the Vatican, then you will go down the path of fire, which is--"  
"Death." Van Helsing finished only to receive a nod from Katalena.  
"That doesn't give us much hope, Ms. Girade." Carl told her.  
"I am not suppose to provide hope, Carl. I only provide what I know."  
"You told me about my life, something I have craved for many, many years. I am satisfied to know what my previous life was." Van Helsing told Katalena.  
"There may be more to your past, but you just didn't shuffle the cards long enough for them to soak up your past." Katalena replied.  
"Perhaps if I live, we try this again." Van Helsing suggested.  
Katalena nodded. "But, they won't let me in the back of the Vatican, where you will be."  
"I'll find a way to get you inside." Van Helsing assured her.  
  
Monty had bathed and dressed in clean garments. 'How will I get Madeline out of this manor in daylight?' He glanced around the room and saw that the curtains blocked out all the sun, and did not even have a bit of it peaking through the cloth. 'Perfect,' he thought. Monty walked over to the curtain and pulled it down. 'I can hide her under this until she is in the carriage.'  
Madeline was ready to leave, but she was waiting for Mae to bring her the food items that Monty had requested. She was sitting on the floor, her skirt billowed around her, thinking over what she was doing. 'I am doing the right thing,' she thought. 'Victoria must be stopped, and Van Helsing can stop her. He is a trained monster slayer with years of experience, and Victoria has definitely proved herself to be a monster. Also once I have unveiled her plan, Van Helsing's search for her will be purely personal.'  
Mae found Madeline and knelt beside her. She handed her a pack and said, "That's what you asked for." Madeline set the pack down in her lap and asked, "Could you put a spell on me that could hide my fangs during my journey? Or at least while I am awake during the day."  
Mae sighed. "I could, but why do you want me to?"  
"I don't want to alarm Van Helsing when he sees me. If he sees I'm a vampire, then he'll kill me before I have a chance to tell him Victoria's plan." Madeline explained. She left out that she wanted to talk to Carl again without him noticing she was a vampire. Madeline felt it was best not to speak of her infatuation with Carl in front of anyone in fear that they wouldn't understand.  
Mae agreed with her and whispered an incantation on Madeline and clapped to activate the spell. Madeline felt her fangs retract and said, "Mae, you did it. My fangs are not noticeable anymore because I can feel them with my tongue. They're normal." Mae nodded in response.  
  
Anna was asleep again and saw Van Helsing on a train, and she noticed that he was not breathing at a normal rate. Carl was asleep, but there was a woman in the train car with them. Anna felt a little jealous of the woman just because she was with Van Helsing. Anna ignored the jealous thoughts and saw the woman was writing in her journal. Anna could read what it read. The woman's journal read, "Carl is an interesting friar. You don't see a friar away from his friary very often. But, Van Helsing is far more complex. He has something clouding his past, and it is something important. I'm afraid for his health, though. He appears to be a strong man, but his condition is far past worry. He's fighting the serpent bite with all he's got. I just hope that is enough." The woman stopped writing when she noticed Van Helsing's gasps.  
Anna saw the woman wake up Carl, who helped Van Helsing regain his normal breathing. The woman soon pulled tarot cards from her dress and began reading Van Helsing's life off of the cards. Anna was wondering what the woman was up to, but she was stunned when the woman was getting all the information correct about Van Helsing's interactions with her.  
  
Madeline and Monty made it out of Romania by dusk, and Madeline was glad. But, she had heard that Transylvanian horses were the fastest they could find. She saw that was very truthful and she leaned next to the wall of the carriage where Monty was on the other side. "Monty, where will we be by morning?" Monty thought about the route he'd taken with Victoria and her coven. "It should not be long. I got Victoria to Rome in close to a day. I don't know if she helped the process, but let us try for that record again."  
"Yes." Madeline replied. "We need to get to Rome quickly."  
"We'll be to the coast by morning." Monty told her.  
"A boat ride will take days." Madeline sighed. "I suppose you didn't travel that way with Victoria."  
"Well, even if we don't make it in a day, we will still get to Rome quickly." Monty explained. "But, that doesn't mean that the Vatican won't be there when we reach Rome."  
Madeline sighed. "But, Van Helsing may not be there."  
"Oh, dear girl, I think he will." Monty told her. "By the way, do you need to stop to feed?"  
"No, I think I can wait until later. My cravings are not even bothering me. I think I will rest, though."  
"Okay, Madeline, when you wake we will be at the coast."  
  
Van Helsing was glad to see that the train had taken them into Paris during the day. "How much longer will it be from here?" Van Helsing asked Katalena, since she had been on the route for years.  
"I must say we will be there in a few hours. It will still be in the early hours of morning whilst it is still dark." Katalena replied as she rested her eyes.  
Van Helsing feared the sound of a few hours. His lungs were already beginning to tighten again, and he wasn't sure how long it would be before he could no longer move air. Van Helsing settled in the seat and thought of Anna. He thought about the night he spent with Anna, and the pleasures they shared. He was relieved to know that had not been a dream, and he desperately wanted to get back to Anna. 'Anna,' he thought as he slipped into sleep, 'I hope I have strength to make it back to you.'  
Carl was the only one left awake at the early hours of the morning. He was staring out the window as he thought of Madeline. He kept seeing her green eyes and how they shined when he talked about his inventions. 'I wish I could see her again,' he thought. 'Although I would do something foolish if I ever saw her again. I'd marry her, maybe in secret so that the monks and other friars didn't find out. But, someone would find out. So, I would just marry her and let them deal with my actions that way." Carl wished that he would have seen Madeline once last time before he was put under by pixie dust.  
Katalena woke up and looked over to see Carl staring out the window. "Carl," she said.  
"Yes," he replied.  
"Why were you headed to America, really?"  
"Van Helsing and I had hopes to learn about the witches that have Anna captive. That way we could fight them and know their weaknesses." Carl replied. "But if the witches are no longer working with the vampire-- or man you spoke of, then we can head back to Transylvania."  
Katalena looked over at Van Helsing, who was slouched down in his seat. "If Van Helsing pulls through," she said quietly.  
"He's made it through worse." Carl replied confidently. "He's too stubborn to quit now. Besides, he'd just be sent back to finish is work against evil."  
Katalena thought back to her reading on Van Helsing. "Maybe a second chance is all he gets. Maybe mortals just have to find someone new to take his place."  
Carl shook his head, not wanting to hear what Katalena was saying. "No, Van Helsing can't be replaced."  
"I didn't say he could be replace. I said someone could take his place. It's far from the same thing. Van Helsing has a good record of killing what he is sent after. Not many people can live up to that."  
  
Finally, the train reached Rome. Carl and Katalena found that Van Helsing could not be awakened, and they panicked. "What are we to do, Carl?" Katalena asked. Carl thought for a moment. 'What are we going to do,' he thought to himself. "We will just have to get him on a horse." Carl told her.  
Katalena disappeared as she left Carl and ran to the front of the train. Carl continued to shake Van Helsing's shoulders, hoping for some kind of reaction. Van Helsing was limp, and that put cold fear in Carl's heart. 'He is breathing. That is always good.' Carl assured himself. 'But, he doesn't appear to be well. He is quite ill, perhaps there isn't enough time left.' Carl's mind raced for a moment, as he feared what to do without his friend.  
Men came into the room and interrupted Carl's thoughts. Carl jumped back from fright, them saw that the men were there to help. Katalena appeared behind the men and told Carl, "We're going to carry Van Helsing out to a horse, and he will be tied onto the horse. I will ride this horse to the Vatican where he will be taken care of." Carl nodded, and the men picked up Van Helsing.  
Carl followed Katalena out into the darkness and found the horses by her lantern. The men had set Van Helsing atop a black horse's back. His head was leaning down, nearly on his chest, and Carl felt fear take hold of him again since Van Helsing was very ill. Katalena left his side and mounted the horse that Van Helsing was anchored to. She sat behind Van Helsing and took the reins.  
"Come, Carl," she said. "We must hurry."  
Carl ran over to the second horse and mounted it. He was ready to ride in a minute, and he led the way. Katalena did not know the way to the Vatican, so Carl had to be her guide. It was hard to see in the dark, but the little moon that was out gave a little relief. Carl listened to the horse's hooves gallop across the Roman land, and he tried to steel his nerves. There was little point in doing so since Van Helsing's condition served a reason to worry. Carl seemed to worry a great deal over a great many things, but he realized that he was worrying over something important for once.  
The ride did not take as long as Carl figured it would; but with no sound other than the voices in his head, Carl found the ride seemed longer. Monks rushed out and took Van Helsing down from Katalena's horse. Carl got down off his horse and followed the monks, who were carrying Van Helsing off. "Hey!" Katalena called. "What about me?"  
Carl turned around and told her, "I'll speak with someone. I'm sure they will let you in."  
Katalena sighed. "Don't worry about it. I'll find some place nearby to rest."  
Carl nodded and saw Katalena take off. He turned back around and raced after the monks carrying Van Helsing. "What happened, Carl?"  
"He was bitten by a giant sea serpent. I had him chew mint. Then when he was having difficulty breathing, I gave him some feverfew." Carl told the monks.  
"So, the venom was--"  
"Neurotoxic." Carl finished.  
Van Helsing was carried into the medical portion of the Vatican, and the monks quickly worked for a cure. Carl was told to stay there until the Cardinal arrived, but he had no intention of leaving. He wanted to make sure that Van Helsing would be all right. 'I should have done more to help him.' Carl thought as he watched the monks work frantically on Van Helsing.  
Cardinal Jinette arrived quickly. "Carl, what happened. A sea serpent attacked your ship?"  
"Yes, a very large one. Van Helsing saved us though."  
Jinette looked over at the monster slayer. "Only to pay a price, I see. Is he going to make it?"  
The monks replied, "At this point, your Eminence, it is all a matter of faith." 


	21. Chapter 20: Carl's Love

Author's note: (Again, I used tarot cards in my story. But, I do not know anything about tarot cards even if I did go to a website for one to see how badly I portrayed them.)  
  
Madeline and Monty arrived at Rome soon enough, and Madeline could not have been more thrilled. She did not like traveling by boat, and she had not fed in days. So as night covered up everything, Madeline took a victim, but she did not drain her prey. To fill her hunger, she took blood from several people. Once the thirst was quenched, Madeline and Monty made their way to where the Vatican was. Madeline admired the large church as she felt to make sure her fangs were under Mae's spell again.  
"Monty, I fear that I cannot take you with me inside there," she said.  
Monty turned to the vampire. "Why not?"  
Madeline's eyes were filled with sorrow for her friend who worked so hard to get her to Rome. "Because, I must sneak inside. I'm sure a woman isn't allowed inside to where Van Helsing would be."  
Monty glanced down at the ground. "I suppose you are right. When will you go?"  
"Tomorrow." Madeline replied. "Tonight, I will rest. An hour or two before dawn, I will find a way into the Vatican."  
Madeline and Monty laid down on the seats of the carriage and slept soundly. Madeline was unsure how she could sleep seeing that she was so close to spoiling Victoria's plans. Her brain told her that she should get up and finish her job, but her body told her she was too tired. So, Madeline fell asleep.  
  
Carl had not slept well for nights after Van Helsing was safe in the underground medical portion of the Vatican. He felt he was responsible for the terrible illness, especially since he was on the deck when Van Helsing was bitten. Carl's mind would not let him past that he could have done something different that could have saved Van Helsing. Carl was even considering Van Helsing lost because he had not responded to any treatment the monks provided. They also couldn't hire a physician because they couldn't let anyone know that the Knights of the Holy Order existed. So, Van Helsing laid on a cot, unresponsive day in and day out.  
Carl was suffering insomnia for a third night in a row, and all he could do was stare up at the ceiling. He had not ate in days, he wasn't hungry. He was too worried and too guilty to feel anything else. Carl didn't even think about Madeline any more because his body was too deprived of everything to function enough. 'What could I have done differently,' he wondered.  
Katalena tapped at Carl's window, and he looked over. Instantly, he jumped up and swung the window open. Katalena crawled inside and dropped down to the floor. "Good evening, Carl," she said. Carl just shrugged and stared at the stone floor. Katalena took the hint. "Van Helsing is still the same, isn't he?" Carl nodded in response.  
Katalena pulled out her tarot cards and said, "How about I get your mind off of things?"  
Carl shrugged, and Katalena took that as a "yes" because it was as close to a "yes" as she was going to get from Carl. She held her cards out to Carl, and he took them glumly. He shuffled the cards half-heartedly for a moment. Then, he handed the stack of cards back to Katalena. She sat down on the floor, and motioned Carl to do the same. He sat down as she put the cards in two vertical rows connected by a horizontal row, like she did with Van Helsing's reading. She drew cards, but Carl only half listened until he heard "Madeline."  
He stared down at the cards and saw a Lovers card. "You have to choose between this woman and your normal way of life." Katalena told him. She drew another card with a picture of a traveler. "Your decision will have to be made soon because Madeline is here in this very city."  
Carl's eyes widened. "Madeline's here," he asked.  
Katalena nodded. "That's where the cards stop," she told him.  
Carl was lost in thought. 'Where could she be,' he wondered. 'Why did she come, and how? How did she know Van Helsing and I are in Rome?'  
Katalena noticed a happier expression on Carl's face. "Are your spirits at ease enough to rest and gain your strength back?"  
Carl, stirring from his thoughts, nodded. "I will look for Madeline tomorrow."  
Katalena stood up and walked over to the window. "You just be careful. Van Helsing won't be around to protect you."  
Carl's expression darkened a little, but he didn't let guilt consume him again. "I will be careful. I am always careful."  
Katalena just laughed. "Your reading suggests otherwise," she said as she climbed out of the window. "Goodnight, Carl."  
"Goodnight, Katalena, and thank you." Carl replied.  
"You're welcome." Katalena said as she dropped down from the window and out of sight.  
  
Madeline woke up while the world was still dark, but her vampire eyes helped her see in the darkness. She got up and left Monty asleep in the carriage as she headed towards the Vatican. She tried to focus on Van Helsing's presence, but she couldn't detect it. 'What if he isn't here, like I feared,' she thought. 'What if I'm too late, and he's gone back to Transylvania?' Madeline ran for the Vatican hoping that she wasn't too late to tell Van Helsing about Victoria's plan. As she ran, she could feel Carl's presence. She felt full of hope and followed Carl's presence as it grew stronger with every step Madeline took.  
'Maybe I'm not too late, maybe Van Helsing is here where my senses cannot reach.' Madeline thought hopefully.  
Madeline found that the Vatican was harder to get to than she thought. The walls were much higher than she had expected, so she had to find another way in. She walked around and around until she found a window opened. She climbed up to the window and noticed that no one was around. 'Why would they be,' she asked herself, 'It's still too early for anyone to be awake.' Madeline slipped into the Vatican and wandered around for a while. She saw the beauties of the building and enjoyed all of them. She made it to an ornate confession and stepped inside. She felt along the walls of the confession and felt a strong power within them. She saw a lever and planned to pull it but saw sunlight starting to peek into the room. 'Oh no,' she thought.  
Madeline reached through the panel into the other side of the confessional, and pulled the lever. She saw that the walls of the confession slid away to reveal a staircase. Without thinking, Madeline raced down the staircase just to escape the rays of sunlight. Finally realizing that someone could catch her when she reached the bottom of the staircase, she began to worry. "Well, it's too late now," she thought. "I'll just have to hope for the best." Madeline was relieved to find an empty armory at the bottom of the staircase. 'Well, at least I know where Van Helsing gets all his weapons,' she thought. 'If he's here, perhaps I will find him here.'  
Madeline heard several footsteps approaching, and she searched for a hiding spot. She found one up in the rafters of the armory, and she climbed up a pile of crates to reach the rafters. 'I can hide up here until the sun sets and everyone leaves.' Madeline thought as she sat down in the shadows where she would be hidden from sight.  
  
Carl woke right at daybreak and wanted to go find Madeline, but he decided to eat something. He realized how long he'd really been sulking in his room, and he was glad that Katalena helped him when she did. 'I could very well have died soon if she didn't help me because I do not know how long I would have stayed in my room without leaving.'  
Carl noticed that not many were up and running about as usual, but he he knew why. Without Van Helsing in action, they had little to do. They made weapons for Van Helsing's missions; no Van Helsing, no weapons needed. 'First, I will go see how Van Helsing is.' Carl thought. 'Although I have a feeling I know already.'  
Carl went through the armory to get to the medical portion of the Vatican, but he didn't see Madeline sitting up in the rafters. But, she saw him and wanted to call out to him. She would have had there not been other men in the room. Madeline wanted to stay hidden from everyone but Van Helsing and Carl. So, she knew that shouting out to Carl was not a rational action. So, she followed Carl by walking along the rafters, which Madeline was glad were all connected to each other. She stared down at Carl's blonde hair as she followed him; it was in rough shape from sleep, and it almost made Madeline laugh out loud.  
Carl finally reached the room where Van Helsing was, and the monks greeting him at the door with weary faces. Carl sighed and knew what was coming. "Still the same, Carl. We try and try, but Van Helsing just is not getting over the serpent venom."  
Madeline nearly gasped when she heard what had happened to Van Helsing. 'A serpent bite? And now, he's lying in there half-dead? This can't be,' her mind protested. 'He has to save Anna! There has got to be something I can do. Perhaps if I cable Mae, she can cast a spell that will travel here to Van Helsing. Yes, that is what I must do later when I can speak with Carl. I'll have him send Mae a cable.'  
  
That night, Carl had given up looking for Madeline. He'd traveled around the Vatican looking for her, but he had found no sign of her. He was standing by his lab studies when he heard a small thump. He turned around to see a figure standing in the shadows. Carl jumped back and knocked over a glass tube that crashed to the floor and caught on fire. "Ahh!" Carl shouted as he stamped the fire out. He looked back up to see the figure was gone.  
"Wow," a voice said startling Carl even more.  
"Who--" Carl started to say as he turned around. But, he stopped short when he saw Madeline standing there. "Madeline," he asked not believing his eyes.  
Madeline nodded. "Yes, it's me."  
"How'd you get in here?" Carl questioned.  
"I climbed in a window this morning and hid until it was safe." Madeline replied looking over Carl's experiments. "You really are amazing, Carl."  
Carl blushed and replied, "Oh, I just experiment."  
"And create miraculous items." Madeline added.  
Carl's expression turned to a frown. "I just wished I could have helped save Van Helsing. I fear that the sea serpent bite he got on a trip of ours has left him in a comatose state."  
"I think I can help him. Well, indirectly, but it will help." Madeline told Carl.  
Carl perked up again. "Really? How?"  
Madeline got close and whispered to Carl, "I need to cable Mae. She can cast a spell that can save Van Helsing."  
Carl wrinkled his brows. "I don't know. She didn't seem to be a full bushel of apples when I met her."  
Madeline told him, "No, I've seen her spells. She's good, and Van Helsing needs anything to get him through this."  
Carl nodded. "All right, but we have to be quiet. We don't want to get caught."  
Carl led Madeline to the place where Madeline could send a cable out to Mae. It took only a minute, but Carl was anxious the whole time because he didn't want to get caught. "Please hurry," he told her. Madeline chuckled, "Don't worry I'm finished." Carl sighed, "Good, let us get out of here before someone sees."  
Carl led Madeline back to his room and shut the door. "Why have you come here, Madeline?" Carl asked curiously.  
Madeline sighed. "I have to speak with Van Helsing. It's about Anna, and it is important."  
Carl asked, "So, she is alive?" Madeline nodded in response.  
"But, Victoria's keeping her locked up. My father drove Victoria away, but she kept a witch of hers there to make sure that Anna does not go anywhere. I came here to get Van Helsing to come back and save Anna."  
"He would leave tonight if he were awake." Carl told her.  
"I hope that cable does not run into any interference." Madeline replied. "That would be dreadful to keep Van Helsing ill like that much longer."  
Carl couldn't stop staring at Madeline, and he thought about the tarot card. 'I have to chose between love or my life here as a friar.' The more he stared at Madeline, Carl realized that he couldn't stop himself from choosing Madeline. She turned and caught his gaze, but he didn't glance away. Instead, he got caught up in her sparkling green eyes. Carl didn't know that Madeline was fighting her infatuation for him as he held her stare.  
Without thinking, Carl leaned over and kissed Madeline's mouth in a passionate kiss. Madeline wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Carl back with equal passion. The more he kissed her, the more she wanted to be kissed. Her brain was giving her mixed signals on whether what she was doing was irrational or not. But, she ignored her conscience and let go of her worries because she wanted to keep kissing Carl.  
Carl wanted to see how far Madeline was willing to go, and he leaned down against her, forcing her down against his bed. He found that Madeline didn't resist him at all, and he pulled away from their kiss. Both were panting from their long kiss, and Madeline caressed Carl's cheek as she stared alluringly into his eyes. Before Carl knew what happened, Madeline rolled him down onto the bed. She leaned on his chest and kissed him softly.  
Madeline then sat up and reached behind her back to unbutton her dress. There were a lot of buttons on the back of her dress, and she was becoming impatient with wasting time on them. But, she finally got the dress unbuttoned and slipped it off over her head. She tossed it onto the floor as she sat left only in her cotton chemise. Carl swallowed hard when he noticed that he could see through Madeline's chemise. She leaned down and kissed him again, and Carl rolled Madeline back down onto the bed. Carl's robes flowed down over both of them, and they were locked in a kiss as Carl and Madeline slipped her chemise off. 


	22. Chapter 21: Twists and Turns

Not long before dawn, Madeline laid against Carl, her head on his chest. She knew she had to leave him soon to escape the sunlight, but she didn't want to leave. Madeline looked up at Carl, who was stroking her hair while staring off at the corner of the room. She sat up, and Carl looked up at her. He didn't speak, but his expression said it all. "I have to go." Madeline told him quietly. "I have to hide while everyone's around." She couldn't tell Carl that she had to hide because sunlight would kill her because she didn't want to lose him after the night she'd had with him.  
Carl held her wrists and said, "Please stay."  
It nearly broke Madeline's heart to say, "I can't." She was glad that Carl let go of her wrist so she would go. She slipped her chemise back on then pulled the dress back over her head. She realized that buttoning the dress back up was much more frustrating that unbuttoning it. She kept glancing over to the window to see how much time was left before the sunlight came pouring it. She still had a little time left, but not enough to fiddle with her buttons.  
Madeline felt Carl's hands buttoning her dress, and she turned her head to see he was dressed in his whole friar outfit. She stood still even after Carl had finished buttoning her dress for her. Finally, she turned around and faced him. They both wore sorrowful faces, and Madeline kissed Carl. "I will find you when the sun goes down," she told him.  
"I'll be waiting for you." Carl told her.  
Madeline saw Carl's gaze turn to the window, and Madeline turned and saw a woman at the window. She didn't know Katalena, so she was surprised to see her. Carl rushed to the window and let Katalena in. "Madeline, this is Katalena. She helped get Van Helsing her by the train. She can read tarot cards."  
"And, I can be a bit psychic at times." Katalena added. "But, it comes and goes."  
Carl had a bright idea. "Katalena, could you take Madeline back to where you are staying? She is not supposed to be in here, and she needs to hide away until dark."  
"Sure, she can come. That is, if you want to." Katalena said to Madeline.  
"Yes, that would be splendid, and I'd love to hear about your tarot cards." Madeline said.  
"Sure, I'll show you later." Katalena replied as Madeline went to the window and climbed out.  
Katalena climbed up in the window, and she didn't tell Carl that she knew he and Madeline had made love the night before. Her psychic senses kicked in, even though Katalena had no real idea why. But, she ignored the thoughts and told Carl, "Good day," as she hopped down out of the window.  
  
Mae received Madeline's cable the next morning and quickly went to action to save Van Helsing. She collected several herbs and flowers in a basket and began to chant in the witch tongue. The flowers and herb leaves danced around in the air as Mae chanted. The spell was an important one, so it took several minutes to complete. But, she was relieved that no one interrupted her during the spell. If someone had interrupted, the spell would have become useless.  
Mae didn't know that Victoria knew about the spell, and she knew why Mae performed the spell. 'So, Van Helsing went and got himself bitten by a sea serpent. I see my spell for protection on the seas works. Shame Van Helsing killed the creature because it was very loyal to me and my powers. I'll let Mae's spell heal Van Helsing, but I won't let him come here. I'll cause a disturbance in Rome that he will have to attend to.'  
Anna saw everything that Van Helsing was going through. She saw him lying motionless on a cot, suffering from the sea serpent bite. She longed to be there by his side, and she wanted to push the stray hairs out of his face. She felt a strange force traveling for Van Helsing, but Anna didn't know it was to help Van Helsing. But, she didn't know if it was bad either. She just knew she had a strange feeling deep inside of her that she couldn't understand. Anna was unaware that it was a child deep inside of her because of Victoria's spell. She didn't even know that she was never fully conscious anymore. All Anna knew was that she would stop seeing Van Helsing and would fall into a deep sleep when her body was awake.  
  
Katalena brought Madeline into the place where she was staying. She immediately shut the curtains, and Madeline was alarmed. "What are you doing?" Madeline asked.  
Katalena sighed and told her, "I know what you really are."  
Madeline gasped but didn't say anything. Katalena told her, "I know you are a vampire, and I know what happened between you and Carl." Madeline felt a little betrayed since Katalena knew everything about her, but she still did not speak. Katalena continued, "Look, could I do a tarot card reading on you?" Madeline nodded.  
Katalena drew out her cards and handed them to Madeline. Madeline shuffled the cards long enough to let her essence be imprinted in the cards. She handed them back to Katalena, who went over to a table and laid out her rows of cards. She drew a card and set it face-up. It was the Birth card. "You were born 1870 and have been a vampire since birth." Madeline nodded and watched Katalena draw another card and lay it down. It had a woman stuck between two versions of herself, good and evil. "You've fought off evil all your life because you are alive because of your mother's love. Her love left a strong Good imprint upon your soul. Which is why you've come; to right a wrong that others have brought upon Van Helsing and his love, Anna." Madeline nodded. Katalena laid down a Lovers card. "You've fallen in love with Carl, but must chose between telling him the truth or keeping hiding every day while the sun is out."  
Madeline looked away for a moment. 'I don't want to have to lose him by telling him the truth about me. He would never come near me again if he knew I was a vampire,' she thought.  
Katalena drew another card, a Passion card. "You and Carl shared a night of passion last night." Madeline watched Katalena draw another card, and her face went blank. Madeline asked, "What?" Katalena swallowed hard and slowly placed the card down.  
  
Carl raced to where Van Helsing was being treated. He knew that Madeline's cable would have reached Mae by that time. He was hoping that Mae had answered the cable by casting a spell to wake Van Helsing. He found Van Helsing was still unchanged, and Carl felt his spirits plummet. He sighed and began to walk away when he heard Van Helsing curse. Carl spun around to see Van Helsing move his hands up to his face. "Van Helsing?" Carl asked to get his attention.  
Van Helsing pulled his hands away from his face. "Carl, what happened?"  
Carl raced over to Van Helsing and whispered, "Madeline came here, and she cabled her friend Mae to cast a spell to wake you up. It appears she succeeded."  
Van Helsing gave Carl and icy stare. "I'm under another spell?"  
Carl stepped back away from Van Helsing. "Come, now, Van Helsing, it's not the same as when Victoria drugged us. Mae saved your life. The monks couldn't revive you from that comatose state. I had given up hope in your recovery."  
Van Helsing rubbed his eyes. He had a splitting headache, and he knew it was side effects from the serpent venom that had raged through his body. "Why is Madeline here, Carl?" Van Helsing asked.  
"She came to tell you something about Anna. She was rather vague while telling me about it." Carl replied. "So, it must be something that is personal."  
Van Helsing forgot his headache, "So, where is she now?"  
"With Katalena. They have to hide while everyone is running about here in the Vatican." Carl told him.  
Van Helsing started to get up, but was overwhelmed with the pain in his head. He felt like his head was going to explode. "Could the monks help cure this headache?" Van Helsing asked Carl.  
"I'm sure they can." Carl told him.  
"Good, it feels like my skull is splitting apart."  
Carl left to find the monks, and Van Helsing stared up at the ceiling. 'What does Madeline have to tell me about Anna,' he wondered. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the blinding headache, but that was impossible. Van Helsing also realized that it was hard to move, and he figured that was from the serpent venom as well. The venom was a neurotoxin, so it attacked major systems in his body. He realized that he was lucky that Mae pulled him through with a spell because he had been doomed without her help.  
Carl came back with a few monks carrying a few herbs to ease Van Helsing's pain. Van Helsing had no idea that the monks were celebrating his wakening, but he noticed that the monks seemed pleased. The handed him some medicine made from Willow tree bark. "It will help stop the pain." Carl informed him.  
  
Madeline saw the card on the table but didn't want to believe it. 'My eyes are deceiving me,' she told herself. So, she shut her eyes for a moment and opened them back up. But, the card was still the same, and mocked her. The card had a picture of a pregnant woman on it. Katalena looked at Madeline, who sighed. "I don't understand this." Katalena replied, "The cards never lie."  
Madeline got up and walked away. "That doesn't mean I have to believe it," she said.  
"But, that doesn't make it any less true. You will still have to come to terms with the fact that you will have a baby." Katalena explained.  
Madeline crossed her arms and felt very hollow. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew that it was true. "I just don't want my child to be a dhampir," she said to Katalena.  
"Well, your child may not be. The only stories of Dhampirs have been when a mortal woman has a vampire's baby. The stories never mention a female vampire having a mortal's child." Katalena told Madeline.  
"I should go home tonight." Madeline said to herself more than Katalena.  
"You have to tell Carl." Katalena told her. She didn't get a reply from Madeline and replied, "If you do not tell him, I will."  
Madeline walked away to sit down in the corner and be alone to think for a while. She needed rest first of all, and then she would make up her mind when she was awake and at a more rational state of mind. She laid down in the floor and felt like crying. 'This is too complicated,' she thought desperately. 'I love Carl, but I'm a vampire. It is not suppose to be this way.' 


	23. Chapter 22: The Sphinx's Riddle

Author's Note: (I have a page on my website that contains some information on Dhampirs if anyone is interested to read about them. )  
  
When night came, Van Helsing's headache was gone. He also found that Madeline was there to speak with him. Carl had sneaked her inside and left her alone to speak with Van Helsing. "You need to come back to Transylvania. You need to get Anna out of there while Victoria keeps her coven watching over her. They keep putting Anna under spells, and that worries me, Van Helsing."  
Van Helsing stood up. "Why are they keeping Anna under spells?"  
"I guess to keep her from running away and coming to you." Madeline replied. Her mind was on more things than it could handle. She was still trying to decide if she should tell Carl about what the tarot cards had told her. But, she also wanted to tell Van Helsing that Anna was having a baby, but she didn't know if she should. She noticed the pain in Van Helsing's expression, and she knew that she had to tell Van Helsing the truth.  
"Van Helsing," she said.  
"Yes," he replied.  
"Victoria is keeping Anna locked up because she's carrying a child, and they going to use the child to save themselves from you and the Holy Order." Madeline blurted out.  
Van Helsing didn't know how to react, but he did let the anger show upon his face. He wanted revenge upon Victoria for all that she had done to him. He looked over at Madeline, and she saw the fire in his eyes. 'That's good,' she thought. 'I think we'll have no problem with Victoria with that look in his eyes.' Van Helsing asked Madeline, "When would you be ready to leave?"  
Madeline smiled. "Anytime," she replied.  
"Good." Van Helsing replied. "Let's leave now." He started to walk out but he turned and placed his hand on Madeline's shoulder. "Thank you, you risked a lot coming here since you have to avoid the sun. But, you are not like the other vampires. You have a heart inside your chest that is more than a withered, unpitied hunk of ice. You have a warmth for people that some people don't even have."  
Madeline wanted to reveal everything to Van Helsing then because she trusted him. "Van Helsing, I have a confession about myself," she admitted.  
Van Helsing stared at her waiting for her to tell him. "Yes," he said to her.  
"I love Carl, and he and I shared these feelings in a physical way last night." Madeline noticed Van Helsing looked rather uncomfortable at what he was hearing. "Today, I had a tarot card reading from Katalena and was shocked by what I learned. I'm afraid that I'm going to have a baby, Carl's baby."  
Van Helsing didn't speak for a moment then he looked out to make sure that Carl wasn't waiting for them. "Does he know," he whispered. Madeline shook her head. "Are you planning on enlightening him to this?"  
Madeline sighed. "I am afraid I do not know how. I will have to tell him that I am a vampire, and that may drive him away from me."  
Van Helsing put his hands on Madeline's shoulders. "Carl is bright, and he will realize that what you've done means more than the fact that you are a vampire. He just may need a day or two to accept that."  
Madeline sighed. "That's what I fear," she said. "That and having a half-vampire child. But, there are more important things to fear at this point. We must leave for Transylvania."  
Van Helsing nodded and left the room. Madeline followed cautiously as she dreaded seeing Carl again. Her guilt weighed her down so much. 'I will tell him. Just not right now,' she thought.  
Madeline went outside to where Monty was at, and she climbed inside of the carriage. She saw Van Helsing and Carl come out later, and she felt guilt build up within her again at the sight of Carl. But she ignored it as the carriage started moving, and Madeline let out a sigh. 'At least we're heading for Vaseria.'  
  
Van Helsing and Carl followed Monty and Madeline's carriage, but Van Helsing found the air unsettled. He glanced around while his instinct screamed danger was near. But, he couldn't see anything in the darkness. Carl noticed Van Helsing was jumpy. "Van Helsing, what's wrong?"  
Van Helsing shushed Carl. He heard rustling in the forest nearby and couldn't tell what it was. "There's something out there, Carl," he whispered.  
Carl's face went pale. "Are you sure?"  
Van Helsing nodded. "Positive."  
Madeline sensed something near them as well, and her vampire senses were never off. She pulled the lining away from the roof of her carriage, where a trap door was hidden on the roof. She lifted the door and stood up in the trap door. She smelled to see if she could detect whatever was near, but it was a scent unfamiliar to her. She stared out to the woods and saw movement and nothing else. 'Whatever is out there,' she thought, 'is in dark complected.'  
  
Victoria stood around a fire and worked her magic as she watched Van Helsing, she used the fire to watch what he did. She chanted to awaken the creatures in the forest and all areas she could reach with her powers. "Awaken Centaur, Chimaera, Dryad, Gorgons, the Griffins, my Harpies, the unstoppable Hydra, Lamia, the mighty Minotaur, Naiad, Nereid, Salamanderk, and the all mighty Sphinx. I command you to keep Van Helsing out this area, Transylvania. Kill him if you have to, but do not let him enter here!" The fire in front of Victoria blew up and reached out in the sky as it formed fiery hands. The hands made of fire sent calls out to the creatures that were hidden away for the most part. Victoria let out an evil laugh as she watched her powers call out for her servants. "Yes," she said pushing a loose hair out of her face, "Van Helsing will not be returning to Vaseria. That is for certain."  
  
Anna was asleep, but Mae came into her room and sat on the edge of her bed. She watched Anna dream, and she knew that she saw Van Helsing just from the worried look upon her face and from the fact that she knew the side effects of Victoria's magic. Anna was not seeing Van Helsing for once. She was seeing the creatures being awakened by Victoria. She saw the Chimaera, a monster that breaths fire and has a lion's head, she-goat's body, and serpent's tail, wake from its sleep. It was close to where Van Helsing was. So were the griffins and the harpies--monsters with female heads and bodies of birds. The Sphinx--a creature with a lion's body and woman's head that kills anyone unable to solve its riddle--was also very close to Van Helsing.  
Mae touched Anna's arm and told her, "Anna, what you are seeing is not a dream. It is really happening."  
Anna heard Mae's voice, it sounded far away, but she heard it. It made her worry. 'If this is happening, then Van Helsing is in real danger!' Anna thought horrified.  
  
Van Helsing knew that they were in trouble before any of the creatures ever got near them. 'There is definitely something coming,' he thought. He glanced over to Madeline, who was staring intensely into the distance. "What do you see?" Van Helsing asked her. She didn't reply right away, but the look on her face explained it all. 'Something is coming,' he thought. Madeline climbed back down out of the trap door, and emerged from the carriage. She ran over to where Van Helsing and Carl were on horseback. "Several creatures approach. I could see griffins and harpies soaring in the air, within the clouds. But, I saw a Chimaera and a sphinx running along the ground."  
Van Helsing cursed and pulled his pistols out of his leather duster. He readied the guns and held them out so he could aim. That was when he saw the griffins and harpies coming for them. "Madeline!" Van Helsing shouted. "Hide!"  
Madeline stared Van Helsing wildly. "Why? You need help!"  
Van Helsing stared at her menacingly, and Madeline knew why. 'You have a baby to protect now,' she told herself. A wave of guilt hit here when she knew that Carl would be in danger. "Carl, I have to tell you something." Madeline told Carl. Carl turned to face her, and she could see fear in his eyes because of the upcoming battle he was going to be a part of. Van Helsing looked over at her and looked at her like she was crazy for deciding to tell Carl everything at that moment.  
Before Madeline could tell Carl everything, a griffin flew right for Carl. But, Van Helsing shot it when it was inches from Carl. Carl looked over to show thanks to Van Helsing. Van Helsing was busy riding out away from where Carl was so that he could steer some of the creatures away from his friend. There were ten griffins that were swarming him, and he wasn't quick enough to shoot them all down at once. He felt a griffin's claws scratch his face, but he kept trying to shoot them.  
Monty took out a revolver that he carried with him for safety and began firing at the griffins. Along with Van Helsing's shooting, Monty finished off the griffins. Van Helsing thanked Monty but was soon sideswiped by a Harpie. The creature knocked him off of his black stallion, but he rose to his feet quickly and reloaded his pistols. He glanced around to see more harpies coming. There were five of them, and they were all heading for him. Or, so he thought.  
One Harpy headed straight for Carl, who tried to jump off of his horse. But, the Harpy caught him before he landed on the ground. She then flapped her wings to lift up higher in the air before she flew away. Madeline screamed out, "Carl!" Van Helsing looked and saw his friend being carried off by the horrid creature. He aimed for the harpy, but his shot missed. "Hold on, Carl!" Van Helsing shouted.  
"I do not think that holding on is the problem!" Carl shouted back trying to keep humor in the situation.  
Van Helsing ran as fast as he could in the direction that the harpy was taking. He was close enough to get a good shot on the harpy when another harpy slammed into him. He was rolled a few times on the ground and found his pistols were lying too far to reach. The harpy was down upon him before he could even move, and he had to hold off the terrible creature until he could reach a knife that was in his duster.  
Madeline, seeing that Van Helsing couldn't make it in time to save Carl, ran over Monty's side and cried out, "Please, Monty, help Carl!" Monty nodded and aimed his gun, but he noticed a harpy coming right for him. He turned the gun to shoot down the creature when Madeline pushed his gun back and said in a monotone voice, "I will handle this harpy." Monty turned the gun back on the harpy carrying Carl off, and he waiting until the creature dipped back down before he fired a shot. He didn't want Carl to fall to his death after being saved from the creature. Seeing Carl fall safely to the ground, Monty turned and shot at the two harpies that were attacking Van Helsing. The second harpy had just landed by Van Helsing.  
The harpy in front of Madeline was close, but Madeline's fangs grew back quick enough for her rampage to be summoned. She leapt forward and slammed into the harpy. As she and the harpy fell to the ground, Madeline sunk her fangs into the creature's neck. The creature squirmed as Madeline drained its blood, and soon it fell still. Madeline pulled her fangs out of the creature's neck to see another harpy staring at her with fire in her eyes. The creature took to flight, and Madeline didn't even bother to wipe the blood from her mouth.  
Madeline dodged the harpie attack, but she grabbed the creature's wings and threw it to the ground. The harpy was quick as it got up, but Madeline tackled it and bit down into its neck like she had the first. There was something sweet in the blood of a creature so foul, and Madeline didn't mind draining a creature that working for evil purposes. She had never drained two creatures before in one night. But, she enjoyed that the bloodlust was gone completely.  
Madeline stood up while wiping blood off of her mouth and saw Carl staring at her. 'Damn,' she thought, 'This was not how he was suppose to find out.' Madeline ran over to Carl, who backed away from her with a mix of fear and hate in his eyes. "Carl, please, I was just going to tell you-- "  
Carl cut her off, "You should have told me before now. You should have told me last night before we..." Carl's eyes showed he was hurt from Madeline lying to him. "I cannot believe you're a vampire," he spat leaving a sting on Madeline's soul. She shut her eyes and tried to shrug off what he said. But, she knew that she couldn't hold her tongue.  
"I cannot help it if I am a vampire, and I can't help that I love you." Madeline told Carl.  
Carl crossed his arms and pushed past Madeline. Madeline felt her anger rise and shouted at Carl, "I also cannot help that I'm going to have a child!" She saw Carl stop suddenly and stand with his back to her for a moment.  
Carl didn't know what to think because his emotions were all mixed up. He loved Madeline, but she was a vampire. That was why he was angry, along with the fact that she hid her real nature long enough for him to fall in love with her. But, he felt lost in his emotions when Madeline spoke of a child. He turned and stared at Madeline, and he knew that she was being truthful. "Carl," she said gently as she walked over to him. He wanted to back away from her, but he couldn't force himself to move. He looked down at her and thought, 'How could she be a vampire? She's been so kind and helpful to Van Helsing. And, I still love her. What if the child is a vampire like her? It's too complicated.'  
Carl's thoughts were interrupted by Madeline placing her hand on Carl's cheek as she stared into his eyes. She looked much older than she had when he'd first saw her, even though physically she had not changed at all. Her eyes showed she was older than she seemed. "Katalena's tarot reading told me, and I was afraid to tell you. I was afraid to accept it because I do not want my child to live this life I must. I know my mother died so I could live--and I am grateful to her for that--but I do not take pride in the ways of a vampire's life."  
Van Helsing was battling the Chimaera while Carl and Madeline discussed Madeline's way of life, and Monty was helping. Van Helsing made a mental note to thank Monty after the action was over. The Chimaera was a naughty little creature that blew fire out at Van Helsing. So, Van Helsing basically kept running from it. Monty hid behind the carriage and aimed for the creature's head. He took a shot, but missed its head. The bullet hit the shoulder, and the creature let out a screech. Van Helsing pulled out his shotgun and fired at the Chimaera. The creature retreated and hid in tall grass, and Van Helsing pursued it when the sphinx landed in front of him. It growled then told Van Helsing in the feminine voice that came from its female human head, "Answer my riddle correct, and you can go. Answer it wrong, and you die."  
Carl was about to reply when he heard Van Helsing call out, "Carl!" He spun around to see Van Helsing standing in front of the sphinx. "I could use some help!" Carl nodded and left Madeline to help his friend. He needed to escape the conversation with Madeline anyway. He didn't want to think about how complicated his life was now that he knew Madeline was a vampire and was pregnant with his child.  
Carl arrived at Van Helsing's side and asked, "What do you need," as he eyed the sphinx.  
Van Helsing told him, "She has a riddle for me, if I get it wrong, we die."  
Blood rushed from Carl's face, and he said, "Perhaps I should take over this task."  
Van Helsing nodded and moved out of the way. "Carl will be the one to answer your question." Van Helsing told the sphinx.  
The sphinx nodded. "Very well, but if he does not answer correctly, you all will die." Van Helsing nodded to show he understood.  
Carl swallowed hard as the sphinx leaned down face to face with him. "Here is my riddle: A general, accused of high treason, is sentenced to death by the court-martial. He is allowed to make a final statement, after which he will be shot if the statement is false or will be hung if the statement is true. He makes his final statement and is released. Now, what could he have said?"  
Carl felt sweat bead up on his neck and forehead. 'If his statement is false, he is shot. If his statement is true, he is hanged. What did he say to be released? What did he say?' Carl thought. He glanced around and saw Van Helsing look worried. He couldn't clear his mind because of everything that had just happened. 'Why did I have to learn the truth about Madeline now,' he wondered. 'Think, think, what could the general have said to be released.' Carl racked his brain to find an answer, and he decided he had come up with an answer.  
Carl stood up straight and proudly said, "The general said, 'I will be shot.' If this statement was true, he would have been hung and thus not be shot. But then his statement would be false, which implies that he should be shot, making the statement true again. So, the verdict of the court-martial could not be executed and the general was released. "  
The sphinx sat up and stared down at Carl, who started to hunch over in fear. 'Perhaps I was wrong,' he thought. Then, he squeezed his eyes tight in case he was wrong and was about to lose his life. 'I am sorry for failing, Van Helsing.' Carl thought as he awaited a strike from the sphinx's lion paw. 


	24. Chapter 23: Trouble on Deck

Carl stood cowering before the sphinx, and it told him, "You are correct. You may pass along with your company." Carl heard what the sphinx said, and he stood up straight. He turned to Van Helsing and ran. Van Helsing grabbed hold of Carl's shoulders. "I knew you could solve the riddle." Van Helsing said. Carl laughed trying to shy away from the fact that he had really believed he was wrong when the sphinx did not reply to his answer.  
Carl looked over to Madeline, who smiled half-heartedly to congratulate him as she climbed into her carriage. Carl sighed and walked over to his horse, which was cowering far away from where everything had happened. Van Helsing followed to retrieve his own horse and said to Carl, "So, you know who Madeline really is. Or what, I should say."  
Carl nodded then realized something, "You knew," he shouted.  
Van Helsing sighed after his mistake. "Yes, I knew she was a vampire because I had met her the night that we arrived back at Vaseria. The night that Tabitha dragged you with her."  
"You knew and never told me." Carl said flatly.  
"I didn't know you were attracted to her until today, Carl. Besides, I've been through a lot. Madeline's true life was not a big issue on my list."  
Carl sighed. "I don't know what to do, Van Helsing. I am still in love with her, but it's wrong to love her. She is a creature that we hunt down, and kill."  
"Yes, Carl, I know because I'm usually the one doing the killing." Van Helsing replied. "But, I can sense evil. There is not evil in her. I have no idea why she cares about what happens to Anna, or me but she does. Her father does not care because he is behind all of this. He hired Victoria to help him...bring back Anna. Then, they started to torture Anna and me."  
"Be that as it may, Madeline's still having a child, one that could not be as loving towards humans. Even if it will be half-human." Carl said and noticed that Van Helsing did not reply or show any signs of surprise. "You knew about that too!"  
Van Helsing nodded, and Carl was outraged. "What else do you know that I don't, Van Helsing?" Van Helsing wasn't about to tell Carl about Anna being pregnant because that did not concern Carl so much at the current time. He just sighed and told Carl, "Nothing. That is it."  
Carl took a deep breath and rode ahead of Van Helsing. He didn't need to be around anyone while he was angry. 'Madeline told Van Helsing before she told me? Why? I'm the one the news concerns, not him. It is my child she carries, not Van Helsing's, so why did she tell him before telling me?'  
Madeline sat quiet in the silence of the carriage. 'Carl did not take the news well,' she thought. 'I fear that Van Helsing is not correct. I do not think Carl will accept this in a few days. I do not suspect he will ever accept it.'  
  
Due to horrid winter weather, the trip to Transylvania was delayed for several months until spring came and melted the snow and the ice. Even in that time, Carl had not accepted that Madeline was a vampire and that he had fathered a half-bred child. Van Helsing found that having Carl quiet was worse that when he was constantly spouting knowledge about anything and everything. They were on a ship heading across the sea that joined Italy and the mainland at its right. Madeline stood on the deck during the night and breathed in the fresh night air. She was still guilty over how she handled her situation with Carl. The guilt was not going away anytime soon either because she was already nearing the third trimester of her pregnancy. Every time she felt her baby move, she was riddled with guilt.  
Van Helsing walked up behind Madeline and said, "It's a clear night."  
Madeline looked over at him. "You said that Carl would accept everything after he realized all the good I have done."  
Van Helsing sighed and said, "I guess I do not know Carl as well as I thought."  
Neither one knew that Carl was standing in the shadows watching them. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest while he leaned against the ship's railing. He sighed and stared up at the crescent moon and wondered why everything was so messed up. 'I should have gone back to the Vatican,' he thought. 'Everything would have been better then."  
Madeline sank down to the deck, and Van Helsing stooped down beside her. He saw tears built up in her eyes. "I did not want things to be like this. I just wanted to help Anna," she said as a few tears slipped out of her eyes. "I did not mean to fall in love with Carl, it's just my father sent me out of the room when he was talking to you." Madeline told Van Helsing. "I came back later, and he told me to go check on Carl. So, I did and found his tales fascinating. When I saw him again, I could not help but want to be with him."  
Carl saw Madeline crying, and he turned away. He didn't want to see her show pain because he was still torn between loving her and hating her for being a vampire, something she had no control over. Carl sighed and walked to other side of the ship just so he was alone with his thoughts while Van Helsing and Madeline talked.  
Van Helsing said to Madeline, "When you spoke earlier of being afraid of having a half vampire child, I thought about it. There are advantages to a dhampir child."  
Madeline lowered her eyebrows and asked, "What? A child that is half vampire would need the same living conditions as I do."  
Van Helsing shook his head. "Is that why you are afraid. You do not want your child to be a vampire?" Madeline nodded. Van Helsing put his hand on Madeline's shoulder. "Don't worry about that, a dhampir is not a vampire at all. A dhampir can track down vampires and kill them efficiently, which is a helpful trait in my line of work. There is no vampiric behavior to them."  
Madeline felt much better knowing that her baby wouldn't be a vampire. "That is good to hear. But, I still fear that Carl has already lost the love he had for me." Van Helsing had no answer for that fear, and he said nothing because he could find nothing suitable to say to Madeline in such a time. Madeline's green eyes stared up at Van Helsing. "Why has he been so distant to you, Van Helsing?"  
"Because you told me your secrets before you told him. Even though, I had already met you and your father, thus I knew you were a vampire. I just did not know of your baby."  
Madeline took a deep breath. "I wish he would at least forgive you, Van Helsing. You did nothing to hurt him."  
Before Madeline spoke again, her eyes began to glow and held still. She sensed something was near, and she pushed herself up off of the deck floor. "Van Helsing," she said quietly. Van Helsing rose beside her and said, "I know I sense it too." The both glanced around and saw nothing but sea and fog, which was not there when Van Helsing started talking to Madeline. Van Helsing's instincts were screaming like they had when the griffins and harpies attacked them. He frantically sprinted around the deck to get a better look at the surroundings.  
'This fog has just rolled in.' Van Helsing thought. He spotted Carl and ran over to him. "Carl, when did this fog roll in?"  
Carl was very distant as he replied, "Just a moment ago. You must have missed it while talking to your new friend."  
Van Helsing lowered his eyebrows. "Carl, I do not know why you are so angry while Madeline is trying to help us."  
"No, Van Helsing." Carl said angrily, "She's trying to help you. I'm afraid she does not give a damn about me."  
"That is not true, Carl, and you know it." Van Helsing replied getting a cold stare from Carl. "Besides that, there is something wrong. Something's out there in the water."  
The look in Carl's eyes went from angry to terrified. "What do you think is out there? Another serpent?"  
Van Helsing shuddered. "I hope not, Carl."  
Madeline looked out to the waters to see something move. She did not call to Van Helsing because she did not want the creature to move out of her sight. She leaned forward to get a better look, and she saw a Hydra, a nine-headed water snake. Madeline was about to back away from the rail when the Hydra lunged for the boat. Madeline screamed as the creature's nine heads snapped at her with sharp teeth, and she lost her balance. She fell back over the edge and barely grabbed hold of the rail's edge.  
Van Helsing and Carl heard Madeline's scream and ran to see what had happened. They saw the Hydra but not Madeline. Van Helsing spotted Madeline's hands clinging to the rail. "She is over the edge," he shouted to Carl. Both men ran for the rail, but the Hydra turned around as fast as lightning strikes. It's heads struck at Van Helsing and Carl, who dodged the attacks.  
Van Helsing pulled a sword out of his duster and sliced off one of the Hydra's heads. The creature pulled back for a moment but the neck that had the head that Van Helsing cut off split in two and grew two heads. "Okay, I'm not going to try that again," he said to himself as he stared at the ten heads the Hydra had. He tossed the sword down away from him because it was no use to him.  
A Lamia, a creature that had a serpent body, but the torso of a woman, slithered up onto the ship. She immediately slithered over to where Madeline was struggling to pull herself back up onto the deck. Madeline gasped when she saw the creature. "Hello," the Lamia told her in a raspy voice. Madeline hissed at the creature and flashed her fangs. The Lamia drew back then grabbed Madeline's wrists. "Fine, be that way," she told Madeline.  
Carl saw the Lamia throw Madeline off of the rail, and he felt a rage well up in him. He wouldn't admit it, but he still loved Madeline and was going to save her. He picked up the sword that Van Helsing threw down, Van Helsing was busy dodging the strikes of the Hydra as he shot the heads off and found that they stayed dead. Carl ran for the Lamia when another creature stood in his way. It was a Nereid, a seawater nymph. Her skin was a pale aqua, and she wore a tattered leather top and skirt. Her hair was silver, and so were her eyes. "Hello," she told Carl as her voice dripped with enchantment.  
Carl felt an attraction to her, but he fought it because he knew the nymph was causing him to act irrationally. He tried to run past her, but she held him back with one had. "Forget her," she cooed. Carl's eye twitched as he tried to fight off the nymph's enchantments. The Nereid stroked his cheek, and Carl forgot what he had been doing. The sword dropped from his hands, and the Nereid kicked it away. "Yes, ignore her, she has hurt you. She lied to you. Why would you want to save her?"  
Carl's mind tried to answer the question but found it was overwhelmed with the nymph's spell. "Yes, why," he muttered. 'No,' his mind screamed. 'I have to save Madeline!' But, Carl's body wouldn't respond to what his brain told him. He stood in one place staring the Nereid in the eyes feeling lightheaded. The Nereid kissed Carl on the lips, and Carl was too spellbound to fight the kiss. In fact, he welcomed her kiss.  
Madeline was struggling to stay afloat in the cold ocean water. She couldn't see the over the ship's rail, and she noticed the ship was getting farther and farther away. She tried to swim after it, but there was not much use. She didn't have a chance of catching up again. She looked up and saw three creatures fly through the fog. They were gorgons, winged female creatures with serpents for hair, but they did not notice Madeline. A tiny wave pushed Madeline underground, but she pushed herself up to the surface again. She screamed as a larger wave sent her under again.  
Carl heard Madeline's scream, and his mind gained the ability to think again. He pulled away from the Nereid's kiss and pushed the Nereid over the ship's railing. He raced over to the edge to see that Madeline was gone from sight. 'Where is she,' he thought frantically. Finally, he saw her emerge from the water. "Madeline," he shouted.  
Madeline saw him and tried to call out to him, but the water was preventing her from speaking. It kept pulling her under its surface, and she was barely able to breathe. 'Carl, please help me,' she thought as she desperately struggled against the cruel water.  
Van Helsing succeeded in killing the Hydra, but was knocked back by the gorgons. He stood up and grabbed his shotgun and fired at the creatures, which were agile and avoided his shots. Van Helsing waited for the creatures to come for him, and one did. He fired and hit the gorgon in the chest. She screamed and fell into the ocean water. The other two gorgons screeched and dived for Van Helsing. He was only able to shoot down one of the two. The third tackled him and began scratching him with her sharp talon-line fingernails. He grabbed her wrists and kicked her hard with his right foot. She was kicked back only a few feet, but that was enough of a distance for Van Helsing to grab his shotgun and finish off the gorgon.  
Van Helsing got up from the deck floor to see Madeline struggling to stay above water, and he ran for the edge of the ship. But, he was hit in the stomach by the tail of the Lamia. He looked up and saw the creature. She laughed and grabbed him by the neck. "How does it feel to be on the other end of your job, Gabriel Van Helsing?"  
"I have been on the other end before," he breathed. "Dracula was a tough one."  
The Lamia squeezed Van Helsing's neck, and Van Helsing scrunched his face up with pain. He heard Madeline scream once more, and he heard Carl cry out for her. Van Helsing tried to pull the Lamia's hands from his neck, but she had a strong grip. She laughed at Van Helsing's attempts to free himself. "It is useless, Van Helsing."  
Carl was desperate when he saw Madeline go under the water and not come back up. He grabbed the sword that had been kicked away from him and ran for the Lamia. The sword went straight through her mid-section, and she screamed loudly as she released Van Helsing. She twisted around and tried to pull the sword out of her middle, but she fell to the ground dead before succeeding. Van Helsing regained his breath and looked up at Carl in a thanking way.  
"Van Helsing, Madeline did not resurface." Carl said frantically.  
Van Helsing jumped up off of the deck and looked over the edge. Madeline was gone from the water's surface, and he grabbed his grappling hook gun from his duster. He jumped over the ship railing and splashed down into the water. He reemerged from the water and aimed the gun at the deck's railing. He fired the gun, and the hook busted through the railing then latched on to it. Van Helsing dived under the water looked under the water. The salt water stung his eyes, and the dark was hard to see by. But, he found Madeline sinking slowly. He swam quickly over to her and grabbed her in his arms.  
Van Helsing used a device in his grappling hook gun that pulled the gun up to the barbed steel hook. Van Helsing was glad that the gun was quick to pull Madeline and him out of the water. He held the gun in one hand as tightly as possible while he held Madeline to his body with the other hand. He was dangling from the grappling gun as Carl took Madeline from his grip. Van Helsing climbed over the railing and freed the hook of his gun.  
Carl held Madeline to his body, and he was afraid because she was limp in his arms. Van Helsing, dripping with water, watched Carl closely. Carl looked up at Van Helsing and said nothing, but Van Helsing knew the feeling Carl was having. There were many times he'd felt that way about Anna. Carl pushed Madeline's golden hair away from her face, and he listened closely for sounds of breathing. 'Please, Madeline, don't do this.' Carl thought as he stared at his love's face. 'Don't die.'  
When Madeline did not seem to be breathing, Carl gently laid her down on the deck. His eyes filled with tears. "I thought vampires could only be killed by sunlight, crosses, or a stake through the heart," he said to Van Helsing as he tried to mask the pain in his voice. He tilted his head down and tried to hold back the tears that were coming.  
Van Helsing walked over and laid his hand down on Carl's shoulder for support. He didn't speak because there was nothing to say that would change anything. But, Van Helsing realized that Carl had still loved Madeline. Carl knew that Van Helsing had been through the very same thing that he was going through. Van Helsing had lost Anna and suffered over it, and Carl knew he was going to suffer over Madeline's death and their child's death.  
Madeline saw colors swirl around from underneath her eyelids, and she could hear something. 'Crying,' her mind asked. 'Who is crying?' She realized it was Carl. 'What is going on? Why is Carl crying.' Her mind finally told her that she had drowned, but she knew she wasn't dead. 'Vampires can't die like that. I'm not dead.' Once she realized that she wasn't suppose to be dead, her lungs pushed the water out.  
Madeline coughed and got the water out of her lungs. Then, she gasped to fill her lungs with air. Carl and Van Helsing stared bewildered at Madeline. Carl jumped forward and put his hand behind Madeline's head. Her green eyes opened, and she saw Carl's tearstained face. "Carl," she whispered with a coarse voice. She reached up and wiped the tears from Carl's face.  
Carl kissed Madeline softly. "I was sure you were gone," he told her as he held her close to him, ignoring that she was soaking wet.  
Madeline told him, "My body just had to realize that I was not dead. That I cannot die from drowning."  
Carl told Madeline, "I realized how much I still love you when you were lying there on the deck." His voice faltered, and Madeline stroked his cheek. She saw Carl fighting back more tears, and she put her arms around him. "I love you, Carl, and I'm not going anywhere." She looked over at Van Helsing and saw he was soaking wet too. She mouthed, 'Thank You,' to him, and he nodded. He had saved her, and he didn't mind being wet if it meant saving Madeline. 


	25. Chapter 24: Return to Vaseria

Once Van Helsing, Carl, Madeline, and Monty were back on land, they had to ready their horses for travel. Madeline was hidden in the carriage since it was daylight, but Monty was working with the horses. As Van Helsing and Carl were getting ready to leave, they heard a familiar voice call out. "Well, look who I've found." The looked and saw Katalena standing behind them. "What," she asked as she gave them a fake confused look. "Did you think I would let you all leave me there? I took the train this far. I've been waiting here for about a month. What kept you?"  
"We ran into some trouble one night, but it was just the ship was slow." Van Helsing replied and got a bored look from Katalena.  
"You should have taken the train," she told them.  
"Yes, we see that now." Carl told her.  
Katalena went over to the carriage, and Monty pulled out the curtain he'd taken from the Valerious manor. As Katalena opened the door, Monty held the curtain over the entrance so no light got in and harmed Madeline. "Hello." Katalena told Madeline. Madeline smiled and hugged Katalena. "When did you get here?" Madeline asked.  
"I've been here for over a month waiting on all of you." Katalena could see by the very little bit of light that was reflecting on the black lining of the carriage, and she overlooked Madeline and saw the bulge of her maternity belly. "How are you?"  
Madeline looked over at Katalena. "I'm better than the last time you saw me."  
"Good." Katalena told her.  
  
Katalena stayed in the carriage with Madeline as they traveled. Madeline enjoyed the company and listened intently to Katalena talk about a few of the passengers that had been on the train. Several times, she felt her baby kick during the ride. The guilt that had been there every time the baby moved was nearly gone. Carl wasn't angry with her anymore, but he wished that circumstances were different. He wished that she wasn't a vampire, but Madeline wished the same thing. She really wanted to be human and be able to go out in the sunlight, but she knew that was impossible.  
  
After a few weeks, Van Helsing could not help but be anxious when they reached the Carpathian Mountains. He was close to Transylvania and close to Anna. He began riding ahead of Carl and the carriage, but Carl would always call out to him telling him to wait up. Van Helsing would stop, and he was riding beside Carl again. Carl could tell his friend was restless, and he that there wasn't much travel left.  
It was the last night of travel through the mountains, and Van Helsing again felt a presence near them. A presence that meant to harm them. "Carl, something's following us," he said. Carl glanced around and saw nothing in the dark. "Perhaps we should have Madeline come out and look for what is hunting us."  
Before that could happen, a centaur and minotaur charged for them. Van Helsing told Carl, "Move!" Carl raced his horse out of the way, and he barely missed being trampled by the Minotaur, a creature that was that had the torso of a man and the body of a bull and ate human flesh. The creature spun around and prepared to charge Carl again, and Carl steered his horse out of the way.  
Monty stood up and aimed his revolver at the Minotaur. He fired and hit the Minotaur in the part that was a man's torso. It cried out in pain and headed for the carriage driver, but Monty fired the contents of his gun into the creature. The Minotaur was a foot away from Monty when it whimpered and fell to the ground. It was only moments from death.  
The centaur was chasing Van Helsing, who was firing at it with his pistols. The shots missed every time, so Van Helsing pulled the crossbow off of his back and aimed at the centaur. He pulled the trigger, and the crossbow fired the arrows at the centaur. Since the gas-propelled crossbow had a rapid fire of arrows, Van Helsing didn't miss the creature. It fell to the ground and kicked its horse legs in pain. Van Helsing rode over to it and sensed that the creature had lost the evil vibe it had carried. Van Helsing quickly dismounted his horse and knelt beside the creature.  
"Why were you after me?" Van Helsing asked.  
The centaur looked up at Van Helsing. "Victoria called us. 'Don't let Van Helsing into Transylvania,' she told us. 'Kill him if you have to, but don't let him return.'" The centaur's eyes rolled in the back of its head, and it went limp.  
Van Helsing rose to his feet. "Victoria's behind this!"  
Monty and Carl looked over at him. Monty said, "That snake. She's an evil one! First, keeping Anna hostage mostly for fun, then making me drive you two back to Rome and leave you, then this. Adam kicked her out of the manor for persuading him into hurting Madeline. He's never laid a finger on that girl in anger, so he decided that Victoria had to go."  
Van Helsing mounted his horse and said, "We're close now, we should keep going." So, they all continued riding for Vaseria.  
  
Mae sat in Anna's room during the night. She saw Anna jerk around a few times when she was dreaming. She knew Anna was seeing Van Helsing again, and she wished that Van Helsing would get there soon. It wasn't long before Anna would give birth, and Mae knew there would be little hope after that. Victoria would return and take the baby and possibly even kill Van Helsing if he returned. Mae couldn't calm her nerves, and she wished that Madeline had cabled her some more to tell where they were. She had sent a brief cable from a ship saying they were all headed that way. But, it had been over a month since that cable. Mae was worried that something terrible had happened.  
Anna could see Van Helsing riding along the Carpathians. 'He's so close,' her mind told her. 'Soon, he will come and rescue me from this dreaming. I have not woke for so long, and I am left asleep through great portions of the day. What is happening to me?'  
  
It was the middle of the next day before Van Helsing, Carl, and Monty rode into Vaseria. The villagers praised their arrival and tried to explain what was going on. But, Van Helsing didn't hear a word they were saying. He was too focused on getting to Anna because he was so close to her. 'Finally,' he thought, 'I'm back.'  
Van Helsing was frustrated because the villagers would not move out of the way so he could ride faster to the Valerious manor. He turned and looked behind him to see Carl behind him looked just as disgusted with the way the crowd was behaving. They wanted help, but they wouldn't move so help could be given. Van Helsing let out a sigh and relaxed for a moment.  
There was little time to relax, though. Victoria and her coven stepped into the Town Square. Victoria was standing on the waist-high stone wall where Van Helsing had first saw Anna, other than the slide of her at the Vatican. Van Helsing clenched his teeth because it angered him that Victoria and her evil was standing there. 'Okay, witch, let's see what you've got.'  
Van Helsing jumped off of his horse and pulled out his pistols. He fired the pistols, but the bullets never reached their target. Victoria had stopped them, and Van Helsing cursed inwardly. He forgot that she could do that. 'How are we suppose to fight against her,' he wondered.  
Madeline told Katalena, "Go outside and see what the weather is like. If the clouds cover the sun, I can get out and warn my father." Katalena nodded and exited the carriage to find that it was cloudy and appeared to rain any second. She motioned Madeline out, and Madeline followed the order. Monty saw Madeline leave the safety of the carriage. "Madeline," he said.  
"I'll be all right, Monty. I must get father. Please, help Van Helsing!" Madeline told Monty as she hurried for the manor. Katalena followed and ran ahead of Madeline, who could not run in her current position.  
Katalena pushed open the door to the manor and screamed, "Help!" She turned around to see Mae. "What's going on? Who are you?" Katalena breathed, "I am a friend of Madeline's. Victoria is here, and Van Helsing needs help. She won't let him pass." Mae's eyes grew wide, and she raced for the room where Adam slept.  
Adam had mourned a lot after Madeline left. He felt she left because of what he did, and he did not forgive himself. He barely came out at night to feed, and Mae worried about him. She burst through the door and yelled, "Madeline is here!" Adam woke instantly at that and jumped up.  
"Where is she?"  
"Close. But, Victoria is here. In the town square, and she won't let Van Helsing pass!" Mae breathed.  
Adam's eyes glowed with hate, and he rushed out of the room before asking Mae if it was safe to go outside. He wanted to kill Victoria for the pain she'd caused him, and he planned on killing her in the square in front of all the villagers--and his daughter. He ran outside and met Madeline in front of the door. His eyes stopped at her belly and before he could speak, Madeline spoke up. "We can talk later, Van Helsing needs help." Adam nodded and took off for the town square, but he could not forget seeing his daughter pregnant. 'I'll find the answers later, first I kill Victoria and her coven.'  
Victoria was trying to strike Van Helsing and Carl down, but they were good at dodging hits. She was getting angry and was hitting the villagers while trying to attack Van Helsing. Van Helsing was trying his best to catch her off guard and shoot her with the crossbow, but he had not gotten that opportunity. Victoria was a professional at killing, and she was not caught off guard except on rare occasions.  
Adam's arrival in the square was one of those rare occasions. Victoria turned away from Van Helsing to stare into the eyes of the vampire. Adam strolled closer as he yelled, "I thought I told you to leave!"  
"You said leave the manor, not Vaseria, fool!" Victoria replied.  
Adam didn't take well to being called a fool. He hissed and flashed his fangs. Victoria hissed back, and quit paying attention to Van Helsing. Van Helsing used the distraction to aim and fire the crossbow at Victoria. The arrows riddled Victoria's body, and she screamed. She had not been hit by an arrow in many years. She fell to the ground and continued to scream. Her coven, led by Tabitha, went after Van Helsing.  
Tabitha was right upon Van Helsing, but she was pulled back before she could attack. Van Helsing stared behind her, and she turned around. Adam stood behind her, and he sank his fangs down into her neck. Tabitha screamed and used her powers to push Adam away. Tabitha, a little dizzy from the loss of her blood, ran out of sight.  
Van Helsing was surprised that Adam was the one who killed off the rest of Victoria's coven. He wiped his mouth and turned to Van Helsing. He knew that his plans were done for, but he could tell that Madeline was correct the whole time. There was a pain in Van Helsing's heart that ached to see Anna again. Adam finally realized why Madeline wanted to bring back Anna. She wanted Van Helsing to get Anna back, just like he had gotten Lucy back all those years ago. His eyes lost their glow, and his fangs were not as noticeable. "Gabriel Van Helsing, I apologize for our last meeting. I have changed." Adam said holding out his hand.  
Van Helsing took his hand because he sensed that the evil was gone from Adam's soul. Adam nodded and said, "I will show you to Anna." He saw Van Helsing's eyes light up at Anna's name. He turned and walked toward the manor, and he caught sight of Monty. "Monty! That's where you went. I knew you had to be the one Madeline took with her." Adam called out to his friend. 


	26. Chapter 25: Meeting Again

Adam did not stop to converse with Monty, he kept leading Van Helsing to Anna like he promised. Adam noticed that the clouds in the sky had darkened and were threatening a thunderstorm. 'Wonder when the storm will hit,' he thought. As if on cue, the clouds opened up and began pouring rain down upon the villagers. Adam scrunched up his face and ran for the manor, he wasn't particularly thrilled with the idea of getting soaking wet. He noticed Van Helsing and Carl were running as well.  
Adam, Van Helsing, and Carl entered and Mae showed up. She said, "I will take them to Anna." Adam looked surprised but nodded and motioned for Van Helsing and Carl to follow Mae. Carl noticed that Adam's eyes were exactly like Madeline's, and he swallowed hard. Even Madeline's hair was the same color as Adam's. 'I bet he's her father.' Carl thought with a little fear building up in him. Adam didn't seem so dangerous, but Carl had just witnessed the power that Adam had underneath the innocent look. So, Carl did not want to be on Adam's bad side, and he considered that Madeline was carrying his child would be more than enough to be on Adam's bad side.  
Van Helsing found Madeline in the room with Anna, who was still under Victoria's spell. But, Van Helsing noticed how pregnant Anna was over everything else. He walked over to Anna and sat down on the edge her bed. Mae said to him, "Victoria put a spell on her, but I believe that you are the key to removing that spell." Van Helsing stared at Mae while she spoke then turned his attention back to Anna. He stroked her cheek with his fingers, and he saw Anna stir a little. "Wake up, Anna," he whispered gently. Anna was lost in a dream about Van Helsing again, but it was interrupted. She felt someone touch her cheek, and she struggled against Victoria's spell so she could wake up. She knew Van Helsing was there because she heard him speak, and she felt her body beginning to wake up. She tried to speak, but found she was still unable to do so. Her mind felt so fuzzy now that it was sensing reality again because she'd been under the influence of a spell for so very long. That had become all that she knew.  
Van Helsing leaned over and looked down at Anna's face. "Anna," he said gently.  
Anna felt Van Helsing's hair touch her cheek, and it tickled. She forced her hand to brush his hair aside. But, she felt her hand being held. She couldn't see Van Helsing, but she knew he had a hold of her hand. 'He is really there,' she thought. That was enough for her to break the spell over her, and she opened her eyes.  
Van Helsing was nearly face-to-face with her, and she smiled at him. "Van Helsing, you are really here." He nodded and kissed her lips. Both savored the kiss because it was their first kiss since Anna had been resurrected that was not spell-induced. Anna felt Van Helsing's hands on her jawbone, and she put her hands on the back of his neck as they kissed.  
Van Helsing pulled away from their kiss, even though he wanted to stay locked in that kiss forever. He sat up and glanced over at the others in the room. He noticed that Carl was shocked, and he hoped that Carl wouldn't be angry over not knowing about Anna having a baby. Van Helsing figured Carl wouldn't make much out of the situation since he was also in a similar situation. Van Helsing actually felt for Carl because he knew Carl was afraid Adam was going to kill him for even being with Madeline in a romantic way. Carl didn't tell Van Helsing that, but Van Helsing could read that look off of the friar's face.  
Madeline rushed everyone out of the room when Anna sat up and realized what the odd feeling she'd been having was. Madeline shut the door, and Van Helsing turned to face Anna. Anna was staring down at her pregnant belly with a terrified look upon her face. She had feared that Adam had taken advantage of the spell she'd been under. Before she could speak, Van Helsing grabbed her by the shoulders. Anna looked him in the eyes and asked, "Did Adam--"  
Van Helsing cut her question off, "No," he replied. He stared into Anna's eyes and told her, "The last time we met was not a dream, Anna. It was real; we were just under a spell."  
Anna shook her head, "You were not beside me when I woke up," she said.  
Van Helsing nodded at that. "No, Victoria drugged Carl and me and took us back to Rome."  
Anna felt the baby inside of her move, and she closed her eyes for a moment. She was shocked, there was no other word for it, to find she had a baby inside of her. But she was relieved that it was Van Helsing's baby, and she leaned against him. He put his arms around her, and it was comforting. It was the life she wanted to have when she was getting the cure for the werewolf venom for Van Helsing. She had wanted to be with Van Helsing and have a future there. She found there was a future there before, and she finally felt like she was in her own home again. 'It's going to be a home again,' her mind told her.  
She leaned back a little in Van Helsing's arms. "Gabriel," she whispered as she stared up into his dark eyes.  
"Yes," he replied.  
"We are going to be parents."  
Van Helsing tried to hold back a laugh. "Yes, I do believe that happens in cases such as this."  
Anna rolled her eyes at Van Helsing. "That is not exactly my meaning. I mean that I am trained in hunting werewolves and vampires, and I don't have any experience in raising children." Anna was honestly a bit afraid of having to care for a baby because she wasn't so sure she had a maternal instinct. She was sure that Van Helsing didn't know how to raise children either, so her mind was quite sure that they were in some trouble.  
Van Helsing stroked Anna's hair. "We will just have to figure that out together," he said gently as he stared lovingly into Anna's eyes. He didn't care what they had to go through because Anna was finally there in his arms. He didn't want to be anywhere else but there with her, and he had a feeling that they were going to be fine at parenting; they had been through much more difficult times, many of which had been very recent.  
The rims of Anna's eyes filled with tears, tears of joy. She told Van Helsing, "I love you." Van Helsing pulled her against him again and kissed her hard. Anna's arms were wrapped tightly around Van Helsing's neck as they kissed. She didn't want to let go of him yet. She had been so afraid that he was not coming to get her, but she had also been afraid that he would die. Anna felt Van Helsing pull out of their kiss and lean his head against hers.  
Anna thought back to her dreams, which had been real, where Van Helsing had been bitten by the serpent and how he crumpled to the ground from its venom. She remembered when Van Helsing was laying in the Vatican, near death. Anna felt tears come into her eyes, and she couldn't fight them back. She had been scared that she would lose Van Helsing. That thought broke her up inside.  
Van Helsing sat up straight and saw Anna crying. "Anna?  
Anna told Van Helsing, "I had dreams, or visions would be a better way to describe them. But, I saw a serpent bite you. I saw you lying in the Vatican unable to wake up because the poisons had consumed your body. I saw you dying there." Van Helsing felt his chest tighten up knowing that Anna had seen all of that. He didn't quite understand how she saw, but he wished she'd been spared that pain. She continued on about her dreams, "I remember hearing the monks say that faith was all there was left to believe in to make you better. I was afraid that I would see you die and lose the only man I ever fell in love with."  
Van Helsing held Anna against his chest. "Anna, I'm so sorry you had to endure those visions," he told her. "But, Madeline asked Mae to save me, and here I am. I' m here with you now, and I plan on staying."  
"Until Rome calls for you." Anna said sadly, and Van Helsing knew that was correct. He knew the Order would need him to come back and hunt down a new monster. He didn't want to think about that at that point. All Van Helsing wanted to do was be close to Anna. She buried her head in his chest and told him, "Don't leave me."  
"I won't leave you, Anna. Even if Rome calls for my aid."  
Anna felt better hearing Van Helsing say he wouldn't leave her side, but she realized that she couldn't keep him from protecting world form evil. "I could not keep you from returning to Rome. You have evil to slay."  
"Evil can wait. Right now, we both deserve time together." Van Helsing replied setting his forehead against the top of Anna's head.  
"That sounds lovely, but evil waits for no one." Anna replied to pick at Van Helsing purposely.  
  
Anna could not have been any more correct if she tried. Evil waited for no one, and evil was stirring right outside the manor. Victoria's soul had not left and reentered her body. The arrows fell away, and she sat up. She smiled wickedly when she saw all the villagers had went back to their business. 'Van Helsing should have let Adam finish me off,' she thought. 'Those pathetic arrows did nothing but make me angry.'  
Victoria stood up and could feel her spell on Anna was broken. "Damn, that Van Helsing," she muttered. She looked around and saw her coven dead, drained of their blood. "And damn Adam as well." She knelt beside Tabitha and held her hand to the fang marks on her neck. Slowly, Victoria's powers willed Tabitha back to life. Tabitha gasped and grabbed Victoria's arm. "Vickie," she breathed, "It's only you."  
"Get up." Victoria demanded, and Tabitha did as she was told.  
Tabitha saw the coven dead, and she realized that Adam had attacked them. Victoria spat, "Help me wake them up, we have vengeance to claim." Tabitha just stared at her, and Victoria hissed at her. "What are you waiting for, girl? Get to work!"  
Tabitha listened and began to help wake up the other fallen members of the coven. Victoria eyed the manor with a hateful gaze. "Soon, you shall feel my wrath, Adam. Very soon, and make no mistake about that."  
"What is going on, Vickie?" Tabitha asked.  
Victoria peered down at her. "That snake betrayed me. We must make him pay, and I believe that the only way to Adam's heart is through his daughter."  
Tabitha froze. "We are going to kill Madeline?" Victoria nodded. "Vickie, that is foolishness. Madeline is a vampire as sure as Adam. She was going to kill me once, and I do believe she could have. There is no chance against two vampires, Mae, and Van Helsing."  
Victoria used her mind skills to grab Tabitha's neck and squeeze it. "Listen to me, Tabitha, I make the rules in this game. I don't care how many they have on their side; I am stronger than all of them. Hell, even if Adam bites me, my soul will return to my body. I cannot die." Victoria walked right up to stare Tabitha in the face. "Have I made myself clear?" Tabitha nodded, and Victoria released her.  
"You may not be able to die, but the rest of us can." Tabitha told her.  
Victoria knew that, but she did not care. 'A loss I'm willing to accept,' she thought. But, she played it cool. "I believe you'll have better luck if we catch them off guard." Victoria really didn't believe what she said. She had a feeling Adam would take out her coven again, but she was willing to risk her coven because she could always create a new coven. Her only concern was making Adam pay, and possibly kill Van Helsing along the way just so he could not hunt her down later. 


	27. Chapter 26: Ruined Escape

Van Helsing was lying down on Anna's bed while she walked around her room. She hadn't been up in so long, and her muscles ached with every step she took. So, she wanted to loosen her muscles back up by walking around, even if it meant having to endure burning sensation that accompanied it. She looked over to Van Helsing. "In my visions, I saw that Madeline is also pregnant."  
Van Helsing leaned up on his elbows. He said, "You will not believe who the father is."  
Anna shrugged and didn't guess. She really didn't know much about Madeline, so she wouldn't know who Madeline would have given herself over to. "I don't know, Gabriel, so please enlighten me." Anna replied, her voice thick with her accent.  
Van Helsing couldn't hide his grin as he stood up. He held his hand next to the top of his right ear. "He stands this high and has blonde hair."  
Anna's mouth fell open, but no words came out. Van Helsing laughed and nodded, knowing Anna had guessed correctly. Anna shook her head. "Carl," she asked sounding very shocked.  
Van Helsing nodded. "I was just as shocked as you were."  
Anna raised her eyebrows and said, "He has been a naughty boy, now hasn't he?"  
Van Helsing laughed in response and crossed his arms over his chest. "I believe that is so." Van Helsing's expression went serious in an instant. "We almost lost Madeline, though."  
Anna nodded. "I saw that in my visions. You were brave and went into the water to save her."  
Van Helsing shrugged. "She had done so much to help me get to you, I did not accept standing there and doing nothing to help her."  
Anna was quiet for a moment then said, "Let us go out of this room. I cannot remember the last time I left this room."  
Van Helsing followed Anna out of the room and found everyone else in the sitting room. Carl told Anna, "Hello." Anna could not help but think about what she'd just learned about him. "Hello," she replied to him. "I would like to hear about what happened during your trip here. I have had these visions and saw everything. But, I would like to hear first hand accounts."  
Before Carl could reply to her, the entrance door was shoved open. Victoria strolled in and laughed evilly. "Surprised to see me," she asked after seeing the shocked faces of the group.  
Van Helsing shouted, "I killed you!"  
Victoria replied, "No, dear boy, you didn't. You wounded my body, but my spirit is what rules over my body. Your attack only put my body out of commission for a few minutes."  
Adam stood up and felt his fangs sharpen. "Victoria, there is no need to play games. Let us get down to business. You want a fight with me."  
"No." Victoria told him. "I want to make you suffer, and I will do this."  
Adam was about to lunge for Victoria's neck when her coven came bursting through the front door. He spun around to face Van Helsing. "Get them all somewhere safe," he ordered. Adam was surprised that Van Helsing immediately went into action and herded the group out the door in the back of the sitting room.  
Once out of the sitting room, Van Helsing didn't know where to go. "Anna, where should we go?"  
Anna thought for a moment. "The bar," she replied. "It has an exit. We could get out until everything is under control." Van Helsing nodded, as did everyone. It was Anna's home, so she knew the best route of escape.  
  
Halfway to the bar, Anna felt a sharp pain surge through her, and she leaned against the wall for support. Van Helsing touched her arm, but she did not move on. She did not move until the pain had ebbed. Anna had the terrible pains several times before she dropped to her knees on the stone floor. Van Helsing quickly rushed to Anna's side, but Anna didn't really notice anything other than the gush warm fluid from her body. 'Why is this happening now,' her mind cried out. 'It is not safe here right now.'  
Van Helsing saw the fluid that had soaked the bottom of Anna's dress. He showed as much fear in his expression as Anna felt. It wasn't safe for them to be in the manor while Victoria was there, and it definitely was not safe for Anna to give birth there. But, that was what happened.  
Mae said, "We need to get her to the bathing room. We can lock that door, and I'll use magic to back up the lock."  
Mae helped Van Helsing lift Anna up off of the stone floor. Mae used magic to help ease the pain of Anna's contractions for the time being. They had to get her to the bathing room soon because Victoria's coven would be there soon. Mae feared that the coven would be right behind them, and she was not wrong. As they entered the hallway that contained the bathing room, Victoria's coven came rushing around the corner. Mae knew that she had to keep them at bay.  
"I have to stop supporting you, Anna. Victoria's coven plans on attacking." Mae said, and Anna nodded in response. Mae rushed away and used her magic cause an invisible force field to stop the witches from coming any closer.  
Mae saw Van Helsing and Anna disappear into the bathing room, and she quickly ran in that direction. Her force field held up long enough for her to get to the bathing room and barricade the door with magic. "And, they said I was a pathetic witch," she breathed.  
Anna's contractions were only minutes apart, and her body stiffened up each time because of the overwhelming pain. Van Helsing sat beside her and endured the times she grabbed hold of his shoulder during the contractions. He really did not feel the pain that should have been there when Anna's hand squeezed on his shoulder, but he didn't give it any thought because he was still too worried that the witches would get in the room. The witches rattled the door vigorously, but Mae's barricades held. Van Helsing was glad for that, but he didn't know how long the barricades would hold.  
Carl was overwhelmed by everything and stood by the window, which he had opened and was breathing in fresh air. No one could tell but he was shaking, partly because he knew that they were in great danger, but partly because he knew that Madeline was soon due to give birth. The thought frightened Carl, and he leaned against the wall by the window. The air was chilly because of the heavy rain falling outside.  
  
Victoria tried to hit Adam with her magic, but he was just too quick. She was becoming frustrated and resorted to using her pixie dust. Adam knew what the pixie dust was meant for, and he disappeared from sight. Victoria glanced around and saw no sign of Adam anywhere in the room. "Where are you?" Victoria shouted. "There is no time for playing games!"  
Adam wasn't playing games with her, he was playing it safe. He knew that the pixie dust was powerful enough to put him unconscious, and he wasn't going to let that happen. "If you don't cheat in a fair fight, then I'll come out." Adam called back.  
Victoria turned around to find Adam's from the direction of his voice, but Adam had used one of his tricks on her. She knew it after she found nothing in the direction the voice came from. "Why should I play fair when it is you who is cheating? Your speed is too great. I cannot compete with that."  
Adam waited for Victoria to step right under him. He grinned and dropped from the ceiling down on top of her. He bit down in her neck, but she was able to push him away. She stumbled away but hit Adam with bolts of her magic. Adam crashed into the wall behind him, and he growled from the pain. He watched Victoria heal the wounds at her neck. "That won't kill me, remember," she asked.  
"No," Adam replied, "But I will worry with your soul after your body is dead." He pushed himself off of the wall and lunged for Victoria again.  
  
Katalena, who'd been quiet thus far, had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. Something wrong with Anna's labor and something wrong with the barricade on the door. She glanced over at the door and saw the witches on the outside were ramming the door. The door was opening a little bit, but it would close back when the witches stopped their pursuit to try again. 'That door won't hold long,' she thought. 'We have to find some way to keep it shut other than the magic on it. That magic is starting to fail.'  
After some time and many contractions, Anna realized something was wrong. Her baby seemed to be stuck and not moving from the place it was at. The pain was excruciating each contraction that raged through Anna's body but didn't move the baby. "Something is wrong." Anna said between the pain of her contractions. "The baby's stuck."  
Katalena cursed inwardly because she had felt something was wrong. But, she'd hoped she'd been wrong. Mae went over to Anna and used her magic to see what happened. The baby was tangled up in the umbilical cord, and the contractions were only strangling the poor child. Mae opened her eyes and said, "The baby is caught up in the cord. We have to get the cord off of the baby before its strangled."  
"Can you use magic to do that?" Van Helsing asked.  
Mae shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I don't have anything to do that. It's serious magic, magic that pixie dust or concoctions are used for." Mae shook her head, "We will have to do this without aid of magic."  
Anna knew what that meant, and she wasn't keen on having Mae's hands in the birth canal. But, she knew that was the only way her baby could be saved. So, she didn't protest. She couldn't have protested anyway because another contraction ripped through her. There was excruicating pain, and Anna didn't know how much longer she could take that kind of pain. Her body was still weak from being under a spell for so long but was being forced through the labor of her first child.  
Mae didn't have time to help Anna's baby, though. The door opened up a foot, and Mae jumped up and used all the power she could to keep the door shut. "I cannot leave the door," she cried out. "I leave this door, and they come in."  
"Then stay there, I can handle this." Katalena told Mae. "A woman gave birth on the train once, and her baby was tangled in its cord as well. I watched to doctor save her baby."  
Katalena knelt down in front of Anna and said, "Anna, this will feel uncomfortable, but it has to be done."  
Anna nodded, and tried to ignore the feeling of Katalena's hand inside of her. Madeline rushed over to Katalena, in case she needed help. But, Katalena had it under control, she had her eyes shut as she felt the baby's head. She moved her fingers down the child's head to its neck, where the umbilical cord was wrapped tightly. Katalena grabbed the cord and pulled it up some to pull it over the baby's head. She succeeded, and she pulled the cord completely off of the baby's neck. She made sure the baby was free and the cord was out of the way before pulling her hand away.  
  
Katalena's hand was covered in blood and mucus, which made Carl nearly pass out--he'd looked over to see if Katalena had solved the situation then wished he hadn't'--, and Van Helsing flinch. 'Some tough men,' Katalena thought. Madeline fetched a cloth for Katalena to wipe her hand off with. She handed it to Katalena. "Thank you." Katalena said, and Madeline nodded.  
  
Hours passed and it was the late hours of the night, and Anna still had not given birth. But, Anna was exhausted, since her contractions were every few minutes, and was fighting to stay conscious. Van Helsing held her hand tighter each time Anna's eyes would shut. He was really worried about her, and he had reason to since women often died during childbirth. But, Van Helsing knew Anna was a fighter and wouldn't let go like that. Still, it was very possible that Anna would pass out from the exhaustion or pain.  
Mae was still holding the door shut. Her legs were shaking from the force she was holding back. She had no idea how her magic was withstanding to ten other witches, but it was holding to her satisfaction. But, she knew that she couldn't hold the door much longer because her powers were weakening from constant use. She would have to rest and regain her strength, and that would leave the door free to be opened. 'I cannot allow that to happen.' Mae thought. 'I have to keep the door closed. I will not let Victoria win.'  
Anna's breathing was breathing in gasps, and she whimpered as the muscles of her belly constricted again. She was incoherent and would have called for her mother is she hadn't been too tired to speak. She could still sense that the baby was very close to being born, but Anna wasn't sure if she had the strength. 'What if I do not have enough strength left in me,' she thought.  
Katalena knew that the baby was about to be born as well, and she knew that Anna had to help the process along. "Anna, you need to use your last strength now to push the child from your body." Anna was groggy, but she leaned forward and pushed with what strength she had left. The excruciating pain worsened and Anna felt like her body was going to split in two. Her muscles tightened up again, and Anna let out a scream because of the burning pain caused as her baby's head crowned. Blood seeped out of her womb and slowly began to collect on the floor in a puddle. Anna held her breath as she kept pushing, she felt like she was going to lose consciousness then.  
The baby was born only moments later, and Anna fell back against Van Helsing. He held her in his arms and brushed away the curls that were stuck to Anna's forehead with sweat. Anna was still conscious, but she kept her eyes closed. She was relieved to have gotten through her child's birth, and was glad that the pains of the contractions were fading away. She was about to let her body be consumed by sleep when she felt a sharp pain, not as painful as the contractions but close. Anna had forgotten about the afterbirth, and she cried from being in pain again. She sat up from Van Helsing's arms until the afterbirth was cast out.  
Van Helsing removed his leather duster and folded it up on the ground. He leaned Anna back against the duster, and she looked up at him with her tired eyes. He held her hand and smiled down at her, and she gave a weak smile. She was about to close her eyes when she heard her baby's wail. Anna turned her head to see Katalena holding the baby wrapped up in cloths. She had cleaned the child of all the blood and mucus.  
Katalena took the baby over to Anna and placed the child in Anna's arms. "A beautiful little boy." Katalena told Anna, who cradled her baby. Van Helsing was lost in thought for a moment. He'd been searching for his past for so long, which Katalena had given him an insight on, but he found that he would rather forget his past and live in the present where he now had a family. He looked down at his son and felt overwhelmed. The baby had a lot of hair to be a newborn, but his hair was dark and curly like Anna's hair. He barely opened his eyes, but his eyes were brown just like his parent's.  
Anna smiled and cried joyful tears as she held her infant son. He wasn't crying anymore from just being with his mother. Anna realized that the pain she'd gone through was worth the tiny child in her arms, but she could not fight her exhaustion off any longer. She looked up to Van Helsing, who took their son in his arms without Anna having to ask. Van Helsing knew she was too tired to stay awake, and he watched her shut her eyes. He stared over at Anna then down at his son. 'Victoria and Adam were wrong to torture Anna and me as they have. But this child is far from wrong.' Van Helsing stared at his son in wonder.  
Carl had shut the window and stepped closer to see Anna and Van Helsing's son. He was seeing a side of Van Helsing that he'd never really seen before. Van Helsing was actually smiling instead of scowling. 'I never thought I would see Van Helsing smile.' Carl thought. 'After he caused Anna's death all those months ago, I never believed he'd be like himself again. That was the scowling Van Helsing, and this softer side of Van Helsing I'm sorry to say I've never gotten to see. He's never had a reason to be happy in his missions. I see now that is all he's really needed in his life. Something to make him happy.'  
Carl stepped up beside Madeline, who was looking up at him. He looked over at her and remembered that they would be parents of an infant very soon. He wasn't sure if he should be completely frightened or excited. Seeing Van Helsing's reaction to his child, Carl didn't fear being a father quite as much. He did fear the wrath of Cardinal Jinette when he learned about both children. The behavior of Van Helsing and Carl would be looked down upon, and Carl didn't have the excuse of being under a spell when he'd made love to Madeline.  
The touching moment was soon interrupted by Mae being thrown from the door. She landed hard on the floor, and Madeline went over to her. "Mae," she said trying to wake up the witch, but with no success because Mae was out cold. Her magic had dropped to a very low state, and she lost consciousness. Tabitha and the others burst into the room. They stared to Van Helsing but were focused on the child in his arms more than him. Tabitha let an evil grin spread across her face.  
  
A/N (sorry if this chapter was a little bland. I had trouble finding the right words in places.) 


	28. Chapter 27: Breaking a Curse

Madeline knew that Tabitha would try to take the baby from Van Helsing, and she wasn't going to allow it. Madeline stood in the distance between Van Helsing and the witches. Tabitha frowned. "You are making a mistake, Madeline," she said.  
"No," Madeline growled. "You are."  
Tabitha rolled her shoulders until they popped, then she held one arm out to face Madeline. She planned to hit Madeline with some magic. But, Madeline used her vampire skills to move out of sight with lightning speed. Tabitha turned to see Madeline right beside her with fangs extended and eyes glowing. Madeline was conjuring up her rampage. "I warned you," she hissed.  
Tabitha thrust out her hand, but Madeline caught it and twisted it with her supernatural strength. Tabitha wailed, but Madeline didn't let go until she heard a snap. Tabitha screamed, and Madeline threw her into the wall. The rest of the witches ran towards Madeline planning to defend Tabitha. Madeline used her speed, which was still fast even though she was pregnant, to avoid the attacks of the witches. Madeline did not use her fangs at all, only her strength to throw the witches about and break bones.  
Van Helsing stood up and ran over to Katalena. He handed his son over to Katalena and said, "Protect him." Katalena nodded, and Van Helsing ran over to get his revolvers.  
Van Helsing picked up his revolvers from the stone floor and aimed them for the witches. He fired the revolvers, and caused his son to cry from the noise, but took out only two of the ten witches. The others were not injured enough to die. Before he could reload his guns, several of the witches were upon him. Thinking quickly, Van Helsing picked up his tojo blades and turned them on. They hummed loudly, and the witches halted. They were smart enough to know the blades would do some serious damage. Van Helsing leapt for them, and sliced one's chest. She dropped to the floor and held her hands to her wound. She didn't survive long because the injury was too severe.  
  
Adam and Victoria were tearing each other apart. Adam was bleeding from his head and shoulder because Victoria had conjured up a gun with silver bullets. The silver caused Adam to heal much slower than a normal wound would heal. Victoria was bleeding from her neck, where Adam had tore her neck open. Blood had stained the front of her dress, but she didn't care. The dress was little to worry about when she had everything to gain and everything to lose. If she lost the fight with Adam, she would die. She knew he'd finish her soul off. But a win would give her the right to take the child of Van Helsing and Anna. She could even kill Madeline with no resistance from Adam. 'I cannot lose this fight,' she thought.  
Adam wasn't giving up, and he didn't plan on dying at Victoria's hands either. Victoria knew she would not win the fight in the state she was in. She wasn't fully up to speed with her powers since she'd used a lot of power to awaken her body from death. So, she did the only thing she could do. She used her powers to disappear.  
  
Mae woke up to find Madeline fighting the members of Victoria's coven. Mae quickly rose, she was a little woozy, and used her powers to throw the witches into the walls. But, the walls were thick and strong. The witches did not go through the walls, but the impact against the walls did kill them. Madeline let her rampage ebb, and she turned to smile at Mae. She even walked over and hugged Mae. "I was afraid you'd been hurt."  
Mae laughed. "No, just a loss of magic. I used too much all at one time."  
Van Helsing walked away from the dead witches and headed back for his son. But, something caught him by the arm. He spun around and saw nothing was there, but something had a hold of his arm. He pulled against whatever was there, but it didn't give. Van Helsing turned on the tojo blade in the hand that was not being held onto. But before he could use it, he was thrown against the wall. The tojo blade clattered away from him.  
Victoria appeared, and the whole room gasped. She smirked at them. "You did not expect to see me again, did you?"  
Madeline had a knot in her stomach. 'If she's here, then she killed father.' Madeline felt her whole world spin out of control at that moment, and she tried to contain the rampage that was building within her. She did manage to keep it at bay, but she felt her anger rage through her system at every pulse. She wouldn't attack until Victoria made the first move.  
Victoria didn't attack Madeline, but picked Van Helsing back up and threw him to the other side of the room. Van Helsing cried out in pain as he hit the hard stone floor. Victoria laughed at Van Helsing's pain, and she picked him up again only to slam him into the floor again. Van Helsing moaned and blood was streaming out of his nose. Victoria picked Van Helsing up again and threw him into the wall again. She took joy in hearing Van Helsing's cries of pain. He was fighting to keep consciousness, but he was losing.  
Victoria raised one of her hands. "Don't worry, Van Helsing, I'll take care of the pain," she told him.  
Carl, knowing that Victoria planned on killing Van Helsing then, ran as fast as he could for his friend. Victoria created power that formed in small bolts, like lightning, and shot them from her hands. Right as the bolts were about to strike Van Helsing, Carl slid in front of him. He felt the shock from the bolts tear through his system like fire, and he felt very dizzy. Carl fell to the ground and didn't get back up. Victoria cursed Carl for getting in the way of her bolts.  
Madeline, seeing Carl lying on the ground, let her rampage loose. Her eyes glowed, and her fangs sharpened. She used her vampire speed to rush over and sink her fangs into Victoria before she could strike at Van Helsing with more bolts. She and Victoria fell to the floor, but Madeline didn't release her teeth from Victoria's neck. Madeline didn't dare drink the blood of such a vile creature, but she did force her fangs in deep to cause Victoria a lot of pain. Victoria used her magic to push Madeline away.  
Victoria staggered out of the room to make her escape because she was already wounded and weak for Madeline to finish her off. Madeline was going to follow her, but she couldn't make herself leave Carl crumpled on the floor. She rushed over to Carl and dropped down beside him. "Carl," she said sadly as she caressed his face. His cheek was warm, but Madeline didn't know if he was still alive or not. "Mae, Katalena, please come here."  
Both women came and knelt down beside Madeline. "Tell me if Carl is... dead." Tears welled up in Madeline's eyes as she said dead. Katalena handed the baby to Mae then leaned down with her ear right over Carl's face, but she didn't hear any sounds of breathing not even faint sounds. She shut her eyes tight and didn't want to believe that Carl was dead, so she held her fingers against Carl's neck--she'd seen the doctor on the train check people's pulses before. But, Katalena found no pulse. She shook her head, not able to say the words. But, she looked over at Madeline, who leaned down against Carl's shoulder and cried.  
Madeline didn't want to believe Carl was gone. He'd been angry with her for so long, but he'd forgiven her when he thought she had drowned. Things had been better since then, and now everything was broken. He had given his life up to save Van Helsing, which Madeline knew was very brave. But, Madeline's heart ached knowing that Carl wouldn't be getting up from the floor. Her sobs started coming in gasps.  
Van Helsing regained consciousness, he'd blacked out the last time he was thrown against the wall. He saw Madeline laying down over Carl, who was on the floor. Van Helsing took a moment to realize that Carl wasn't moving. 'No,' he thought. 'It cannot be. Carl's not dead.'  
Katalena saw Van Helsing sit up and told him, "Carl's gone." She saw the look of horror upon Van Helsing's face. He struggled but finally got the words to come. "What happened?" Katalena took a deep breath, she was grieving over the loss of Carl as well because he had been a good person. She said, "Victoria was going to kill you, but Carl intercepted the attack before it ever got to you."  
Van Helsing felt instant guilt, even if he could not have stopped Carl from jumping in front of the attack. 'Why would you do something like that, Carl?' Van Helsing thought as he put his hands on his face. He rubbed his eyes and tried to keep the reality from soaking in. Carl had been Van Helsing's friend, his only friend for a long time. Van Helsing couldn't let himself believe that Carl was just gone because they had been through too much. Most of all, Van Helsing felt guilty for owing his life to Carl so many times over the past year. Carl had saved him from letting go and dying of life without Anna--he made Van Helsing realized that Anna was alive and waiting to be found, he treated Van Helsing's serpent bite and saved him from dying on the ship, and he jumped in front of Victoria's attack. Van Helsing didn't like that he could never repay Carl for all of that.  
Mae saw a pouch of pixie dust in Tabitha's cloak. She gave the baby back to Katalena to hold, and she got up and snatched the dust from Tabitha's dead body. She had an idea. 'What if we can bring Carl back by magic? I think I could get it to work.' She ran over to Madeline and said, "I have an idea."  
Madeline looked up at Mae with red, bloodshot eyes. She saw Mae had a pouch of pixie dust in her hand, and Madeline sat up. "What is your idea?"  
"We use this to bring Carl back." Mae suggested.  
Madeline sighed. "That pixie dust can't solve anything, Mae. Anna wasn't brought back by pixie dust."  
"No," Mae replied, "But, Anna had been departed from the world for some time. Carl has not."  
Madeline's mind told her it was a crazy idea, but her heart didn't want to let go of Carl yet. So, she decided it was worth a try. Mae grabbed a handful of pixie dust and chanted for a moment until she had completed her incantation. Then, she blew the dust out of her hand. All eyes watched the dust land, but the dust had no effect. Mae shook her head. "No, it should have worked," she cried out.  
Madeline closed her eyes and brought her hands up to her face. Fresh tears spilled out of her eyes. Through sobs she said, "I would give up my eternal life if Carl would wake up."  
Mae was about to comfort Madeline when the pixie dust she'd blown in the air lifted up and encircled Madeline. Madeline looked up and felt a pain inside of her head. It felt like her head was splitting in two, and she grabbed her hair and screamed. Her heart raced, and she felt very ill. A piece of her was being torn away, but she finally realized what was going on. The pixie dust was granting her wish and freeing her of her vampire life in return for Carl to live.  
After several minutes, the headache was gone. But, Madeline was lightheaded. She fell over against Mae, and Mae laid her on the cool stone floor. She felt of Madeline's head. "She's burning up," she told Katalena.  
Katalena was about to go check on Madeline when she saw Carl twitch. She looked again and saw Carl was breathing. "Mae, Madeline did it. I don't understand how, but she did." Mae stared down and saw Carl was starting wake up. Carl rolled over and sat up. He moaned with pain from being hit with Victoria's bolts, and he rubbed his eyes. Katalena and Mae just stared at each other then looked over at Van Helsing, who was staring over at Carl in confusion.  
Carl looked over and saw Madeline was on the floor, and he reached over to her. Mae touched his shoulder. "She saved you," she told him.  
"What?" Carl asked not understanding.  
"Victoria's bolts killed you." Mae told him. "I tried to use pixie dust that Tabitha had to bring you back, but it failed."  
"Then, Madeline said she would give up her eternal life if you would wake up." Katalena told Carl. "And, the pixie dust reacted to that."  
Carl's eyes were very wide. "She's not dead, is she?"  
"No." Mae replied. "But, I don't believe she's undead either."  
Carl saw Madeline's complexion had changed. She had more color to her skin, and he felt his heart skip. 'Then, we can actually be together,' he thought. He brushed her cheek and found it was too warm. "She's feverish," he said. He looked at Mae. "That isn't good. She needs medicine."  
Adam came rushing in and saw Madeline on the ground. He had felt the connection between his daughter and him severe. He thought Victoria had killed Madeline, but he saw that something had turned her human. He walked over and lifted his daughter up into his arms. He stroked her curly hair, and he silently willed her awake. Her green eyes opened and looked up at her father. "Daddy," she asked. She saw his eyes tear up. "What's wrong?" Madeline asked.  
Adam let her out of his embrace. He touched her cheek and told her, "You've broken free of the cursed life that you hated so much." Tears fell down his cheeks. "But, we cannot be together anymore. You are human now, and I don't want to see you fade away. I couldn't bear that kind of pain."  
Madeline felt a pain in her heart to see her father cry. "I'm sorry," she told him.  
He shook his head. He sensed what had happened in the room, and he knew that Madeline had saved Carl. "No. Don't be sorry, Madeline. You had noble cause. Besides, why should I have what I want when I've caused so much pain here?" Adam asked as he looked up to Van Helsing and Anna.  
Van Helsing could feel the pain inside of Adam, and he felt sorry for him. He was losing Madeline, the one thing Adam had left in the world that he loved. He'd lost his love for Madeline, and now he was losing Madeline to a new life. Adam knew that Van Helsing could sense his pain, but he knew that didn't make up for what he'd done.  
For the first time in her life, Madeline could not feel her father's emotions. She knew that she was truly human, and it made her really sad to know she'd never have a bond with her father. She had never even considered how being human would affect her father, she'd just thought about what would make her happy. Now, she was guilty for not thinking of how her father would feel. She loved him so much, and she touched his cheek. He used his skills to let her know he would be all right, but he didn't tell her how long it would take before he was okay. Adam just wanted Madeline to know enough to keep her happy, she deserved to be happy since she never liked being a vampire anyway. "I love you, Madeline." Adam told her.  
Madeline hugged her father and said, "And, I love you."  
  
A/N (I was about to cry while I wrote this chapter.) 


	29. Chapter 28: Adam's Goodbye

Adam held onto his daughter for as long as her hug went on, and he took a moment to remember her just the way she was. He was going to return back to his home in London, and he would leave Madeline there with the people she'd come to love. He knew she would be happier that way, but he couldn't stop the tears that came along with having to give her up.  
Madeline pulled out of the hug with tears in her eyes. Adam reached over to her and brushed them aside. "Don't cry, darling," he told her. "You'll be happier here without me and without your vampire powers anymore. You were never meant to be such a foul creature anyway. Your soul was never stained and battered enough to be cruel."  
Adam stood up and went to the door. Madeline got up off of the floor. "Where are you going," she asked.  
Adam turned to face her, his expression was melancholy. "I'm going home," he replied quietly. He turned and exited the room, but Madeline followed.  
"Father," she called out to him.  
He stopped where he was but did not turn to face her. Tears lingered in his eyes, and he couldn't bear to drag the pain any further. He just wanted to go home and clear his home of Madeline's things. But, he knew that her presence would never leave his home. She'd been with him too long, and she was part of him. Madeline called out to him again, and he turned with fresh tears on his face. Madeline's face darkened with pain.  
Adam took a breath and said, "I'll send your things here once I'm home."  
Madeline's sight went blurry as tears covered her vision. Her heart ached knowing that her father was going to remove all her belongings from their home. She knew she had a new life, but it hurt knowing her old life was dying away. She'd lived for eighteen years in that home with her father, and Madeline had known nothing but his company. She bit her lip and let the tears spill down her face.  
Adam walked over to his daughter. "Madeline, look at me." Madeline looked up at her father, with eyes that were exactly like his. Adam saw so much of himself in his daughter, and that let painful stings in his heart. Every time he saw a mirror, he would think of Madeline because she resembled him so much. Her blonde hair and her green eyes, even her passion was like his. He spoke through tears and told her, "Madeline, it has to be this way. You need to live here with people you love."  
"But, I love you." Madeline cried.  
Adam held his daughter's shoulders. "You belong here, there's a future here. You'd have no future like this back in London. You'd be away from all your friends and Carl." Madeline knew Adam was right, but she was desperately clinging to the last bit of her old life.  
"Why won't you keep my belongings?" Madeline asked sobbing.  
Adam wiped tears from his eyes then set his hand back down on Madeline's shoulder. "I cannot see your room and everything in it every day and know that you aren't there. I just cannot do it, Madeline. I have to send your things to you. It is hard enough for me to know that room is never going to be yours anymore. Now, I have to go before the sun rises."  
Madeline knew that the sun would rise in an hour, but she held on to her father's hand as he turned away from her. His eyes showed his broken soul, and Madeline couldn't let go of his hand. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he fought them off. "Madeline, please," he begged.  
Madeline let her father's hand slip from her grasp, and she watched him turn and walked around the corner. She leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. She saw Mae standing in the bathing room doorway. Tears streamed down her face, and Mae came over to her. Mae sat down beside Madeline, and stroked her hair. Madeline leaned over against Mae's shoulder. Mae had been her friend for months, and she felt Madeline's pain radiating out of her body like heat. "He's really leaving, Mae." Madeline said. "He's the last thing I had left of an old life."  
Katalena, Carl, and Van Helsing went out into the hallway to find Madeline crying on Mae's shoulder. "I didn't think about how much it would hurt to let go of my past." Mae looked over at the others, who showed sympathy. Carl started to go over there, but Mae shook her head. Mae wanted Madeline to get over losing her past before she returned to the present.  
Adam quickly collected all his belongs and woke up Monty. "Monty, we are leaving."  
"Where's Madeline?" Monty asked rubbing sleep from his eyes.  
Adam closed his eyes and held down his pain. "She's staying here," he said quietly.  
Monty understood what was going on and didn't press the matter. He just collected all of his things and headed out to the carriage with Adam. Adam didn't even look back at the manor; he couldn't make himself look. He got in the carriage and shut the door. The darkness of the carriage was soothing to Adam. He heard Monty get up on the driver's seat and get the horses moving. As they began to move, Adam thought about how lonely it was there in that carriage without his daughter. Tears rose to the brim of his eyes, and he tried to blink them away. But, they didn't leave.  
Adam let go and sobbed there in the confinement of the carriage. 'She's gone,' he thought. 'My Madeline is no longer part of my life.' His voice was raspy as he cried out, "Lucy, why did you have to make her love so much?" Adam leaned his head against the lining of the carriage as he cried. Lucy's sacrifice for Madeline had caused Madeline to have what seemed to be an endless amount of love. That love had helped the lives of many people, Adam knew that. But, he didn't care if others were helped because he was left with a pain he'd felt when Lucy was first taken from him. Losing his bond with Madeline had awakened the bitterness in his soul.  
  
Once Adam was home, his workers all gathered around him. They asked him, "Where is Miss Maddy?" Adam ignored them because he couldn't deal with the questions. He knew that Monty would tell them Madeline had stayed, so he fled inside. He didn't look at anything as he ran up the flight of stairs to get to his bedchamber. He shut the door and locked it. He wasn't leaving and no one was coming in. He needed to be alone. He laid down on his bed and fell into a deep slumber.  
Adam woke the next night and stayed on his bed. He didn't want to get up. He was heart-broken again, and even his hunger could next exceed that. So, he laid thinking about his daughter. 'Why did I let her go? I could have brought her back with me and turned her back into a vampire.' Adam knew deep inside that would have been wrong to do because Madeline never liked being a vampire, but his entire soul was mourning.  
Anita, the head maid in Adam's home, knocked at his door. "Adam, honey."  
"Go away." Adam said miserably.  
Anita used her master key to open up Adam's door. She went in and looked at him. He was curled up in the fetal position. She hadn't seen him so devastated since Lucy's death. "If ya didn't want her to stay, why didn't ya just make her come home?"  
Adam turned to stare at Anita. Her dark skin was near impossible to see in the dark room, even for Adam's special vision. "She met new people, and she is pregnant by one of them. She wouldn't have come home. I couldn't have her come home a human anyway. It'd hurt just as bad to see her life fade away every day."  
Anita walked over to Adam's bed and sat down. "Honey, Madeline wouldn't want to see ya like this."  
Adam ignored her. "Anita," he said with pain evident in his voice.  
Anita touched his shoulder. "Adam, what would Lucy think if she saw ya right now? Ya given up laying here waiting for death's sweet end."  
Adam turned and looked at Anita. "Don't do this, Anita."  
"She would not be pleased." Anita told him.  
"My heart has been wounded, Anita. I'll decide how much time it will take to mend it. But, please pack up Madeline's things. I want them sent to her at the Valerious manor in Vaseria." Adam laid back down and closed his eyes.  
Anita knew that he wouldn't say anything else. "Aight, Adam. I will have her things packed." Then, Anita left Adam alone again.  
  
Adam got up the next evening and walked to his living room. He stared up at the portrait hanging on the wall above his huge marble fireplace. It was a painting of Madeline, and it was so lifelike. He'd paid a lot of money for that painting, but it had been worth every penny. It was an exact copy of Madeline's beauty, and Adam couldn't take his eyes off of it.  
Monty walked into the room and asked, "How do you feel, Adam?"  
Adam ignored the question because he was too distracted by his pain. "Take it down," he said.  
Monty was confused by the request at first, then he noticed that Adam meant the painting of Madeline. "Sir, I don't think that would be--"  
"I said take it down!" Adam bellowed.  
Monty winced but nodded, "Yes, Adam."  
Adam did not move until the painting of his daughter was off the wall. Then, he felt his body able to move again. The painting had stirred up too much pain for his soul to go on, but it was down and he could go on. "What do you want me to do with it, sir?" Monty asked.  
"Store it away where I cannot see it." Adam replied as he went into the kitchen where Anita was.  
Anita had been a priestess of an African tribe before she moved with a man to England. Adam had met her when he was a teenager, and she became friends with him. But, he had rarely seen her because she held rituals at night, when he could be outside. After Madeline was born, he had found Anita and asked her to be a nanny for him. She agreed and took good care of Madeline. But, she saw Adam walk into the kitchen with the look of a sad, lonely puppy. Anita opened her arms for Adam, and he accepted her embrace. Anita was an immortal, and she was much older than Adam, so she knew more than he did. He could feel her wisdom while he hugged her, and she stroked his hair. "You can let it out, honey. That's the only way to move on. Trust me, I know." Anita told him.  
Adam cried in the arms of Anita, who held him tightly and supported him as the tears fell. She felt sorry for Adam because he'd had so many roadblocks in his life, but this proved to be one of the toughest to pass. But, Anita knew Adam would get past it as long as he had support, and she had supported him as long as she had known him. She wasn't about to leave him alone to deal with the pain he was carrying. 


	30. Chapter 29: Mae's Trip to London

Madeline sat in the sunlight, like she enjoyed doing every day since she had turned human. She held her four-month-old son, Benjamin, in her arms. Carl and Madeline had married before he and Van Helsing had to return to Rome. Van Helsing assured that they wouldn't be gone long, and Madeline had a feeling that Van Helsing wouldn't be gone any longer than he had to be. He wanted to be with Anna and their son, Tyrney Velkan Van Helsing. Anna had realized that she did have maternal instincts, and she hardly left Tyrney alone for a few minutes. Madeline often found herself doing the same thing, and she and Anna became good friends.  
Mae walked outside and stood beside Madeline in a patch of sunlight. Madeline looked over at Mae. "Would you do me a favor?" Mae didn't even wait to hear what the favor was; she nodded because she would do anything for Madeline. Madeline had set her free of Victoria and the rest of the coven, who pushed her around and verbally abused her. She was grateful to Madeline, as were the rest of the people that knew her. Madeline had a gift to touch the hearts of everyone she knew, and she didn't lose that gift after becoming human. Madeline still liked to help out whenever she could.  
"Will you go to London and find my father and make sure he's all right?" Madeline asked with a hint of old sadness in her eyes. "I still worry about him at night, every night."  
Mae nodded. "I will find him, and I will make sure he is fine. I will send you a cable when I get to London."  
"When will you leave?" Madeline asked as she held Benjamin against her shoulder. His eyes were bright green like Madeline and Adam's eyes. He had blonde hair, like his parents, but it was a curly mess like Madeline's hair. He was a calm baby and rarely cried, which surprised Madeline. She figured most babies cried a lot, but her son didn't. Madeline guessed it was because he was a dhampir, but she wasn't sure if that was why he rarely cried.  
Mae took a deep breath of the air around her. "I think I'll leave later today," she said. "I'd like to get there as soon as I can. It is not as far away as America, but it is still very far."  
Madeline nodded because she'd been on the journey before. "Yes," she replied as the wind blew her curly hair about. "It is very far."  
Mae smiled. "I will use magic to get there soon," she admitted causing a smile to appear on Madeline's face. "You know, the people here honor you." Madeline cocked her head to the side. Mae nodded. "They say you gave them back their leader and give them hope that not all creatures are evil. Maybe their souls can be saved."  
Madeline half-laughed. "I am an unusual occurrence. Not many can be saved, save you. My father is borderline, but Victoria was pure evil." Mae nodded at that. "I don't think all evil beings have a good soul that can be saved."  
"Your father could be saved."  
"A long time ago, he could have been saved." She stared at the clouds for a moment. "I'm not certain he can be saved anymore."  
Mae looked over at Madeline. "I never felt evil in your father, and neither did Van Helsing after Victoria was out of the way."  
"The fact that other people can manipulate him to do evil is what worries me. I just hope he is all right. It has been five months since he left."  
Katalena walked outside, she'd stayed there after all the excitement died down because she finally felt she belonged somewhere. She had a house in Vaseria but came to help Anna and Madeline with Tyrney and Benjamin. Usually, Katalena helped Mae tend to housework more than help caring for the two babies because their mothers barely left them to be cared for. "So, this is where you both have gone off to." Katalena walked over to them and stood beside them. She asked Madeline, "Are you making up for all the years you could never be in sunlight?" Madeline laughed and nodded.  
  
Van Helsing and Carl were riding over the Carpathian Mountains. Van Helsing had been sent on a mission to rid a British town of a banshee. It took longer than expected to track the banshee down, but Van Helsing wasted no time in destroying it after he found it. After that, Van Helsing returned to Rome and requested to return to Transylvania. Cardinal Jinette allowed them to go, even though he was not pleased. He had not been pleased to hear about Tyrney or Benjamin, but he had let that slide as well. He figured that Benjamin would later be some help if they ever had trouble with vampires again. A dhampir's main skill was the ability to track down vampires and destroy them. Jinette pondered at whether Benjamin would join the Holy Order when he was old enough. Jinette also wondered if Anna and Van Helsing planned to teach Tyrney their skills. Jinette realized both boys would make a good addition as Knights of the Holy Order.  
  
Mae left later in the day, like she had said. Anna had given her a Transylvanian steed, which Anna said there was nothing faster than Transylvania horses. Mae realized that Anna had been correct as she made it to the Carpathian Mountains before the sun had even set. She saw Van Helsing and Carl at the bottom of the mountains, and she rode over to them. "Where are you going?" Van Helsing asked her.  
"No hello?" Mae asked jokingly.  
"Not when you're in such a hurry." Van Helsing told her.  
Mae said, "I'm going to check on Adam. Madeline asked me to." She got only silence from the two men. So, Mae changed the subject. "You are planning to surprise Anna and Madeline," she stated.  
"Yes, is there something we should know?"  
Mae shook her head at Van Helsing. "No, they don't leave often. Their attention is always on Tyrney and Benjamin. But, I must hurry off. It was good to see you before I was off." Mae replied waving.  
"Goodbye, Mae." Van Helsing and Carl replied.  
"Mae!" Van Helsing called before she got too far.  
Mae stopped her horse again. "Yes," she answered.  
"When you find Adam, let us know about him. He was in a rough condition the last time we saw him."  
Mae told him, "I promised to send Madeline a cable when I got to London. I fear that she believes his soul is tainted."  
"I don't know how after the emotion he showed the night he left." Carl said surprised by Madeline's reaction.  
"I just know she doesn't have much faith in him anymore. But, I have a feeling there's more there under the vampire than anyone sees. I saw his face before he left. There was a pain that a soul of evil could not have shown." Mae replied having her horse move at a slow walk.  
"Mae, Anna and I haven't had our wedding. The whole village wants her to have a big wedding. Will you be back in time for that?" Van Helsing asked. He and Anna hadn't had a chance to marry before he left for Rome because the villagers wanted to attend. So, they agreed to hold a large wedding so all the villagers would be happy that they were at their leader's wedding. But, Van Helsing didn't know why Mae would leave so soon to the wedding.  
"Anna spoke with me about this. I will do my best to return. If I cannot make it in time, I promise to use my magic and surprise you both on that night." Mae replied.  
Van Helsing nodded. "I will let you attend your affairs," he told her.  
"Thank you, Van Helsing. You and Carl take care." Mae told them, and she received nods from both men. Then she continued on.  
  
Adam had let his workers off a whole week, like he did every month, and he was savoring the silence of his home. He'd sat and listened to the silence since he'd come home. The pain he felt without Madeline had eased a great deal, but it was still there everyday. Adam just got used to the hollow pain and lived on. Anita helped him realized that his soul was too mixed up between good and evil for him to die and have his soul judged. So, he finally went out and fed again. He was starting to become something like himself again, and he wasn't sure if he should enjoy that.  
Adam had his fireplace on and was watching the fire when he heard a knock on his door. He stared at the door. 'Who would it be,' he wondered. 'My workers are enjoying their week off for this month. Would it be them if something terrible has happened? What if Anita is hurt?' Adam rose off of the velvet couch and rushed over to the door. He opened to door to find a woman in a hooded cloak. "Yes," he asked.  
The woman pulled back her hood. Adam's eyes widened. "Mae," he asked. She nodded. Adam ushered her in and shut the door. "Why are you here? Is Madeline all right?"  
Mae felt sorry for Adam. The first thing he wanted to know about was related to Madeline, but Madeline was just worried that he had turned evil. 'Madeline is wrong,' she thought. 'Adam is not evil.' She replied, "Madeline is very well, but she wanted me to come check on you."  
Adam eyes were hopeful. "I have not sent her any cables since I left. I feared she would not care how I was."  
"She's just worried about you. There is still a little pain from when you left." Mae replied.  
Adam felt a closeness to Mae that he had only felt with Lucy. He was calm around Mae, and he was rarely calm. "I think about her a lot," he admitted. "She was my little girl."  
Mae saw the pain in his eyes was worse than the pain that had been in Madeline's eyes. She walked over to him and took his hands in her own. Adam didn't pull his hands away became Mae's touch was warm and caring. He hadn't let anyone care for him since he had cried on Anita's shoulder. He looked down into Mae's bright eyes. "How is her baby?"  
Mae smiled. 'He actually cares,' she thought. "Benjamin." Mae told him. "He is a healthy baby, but he is a dhampir." Adam's eye twitched at that, and Mae figured he was afraid that Benjamin would hunt him down one day. "But he has blonde curly hair and vivid green eyes like Madeline." Mae saw the light from the fireplace catch in Adam's eyes. His smile was gentle, and Mae could have mistaken him to be human.  
Mae had hid her feelings for Adam while she stayed at the Valerious manor, but they were coming out then. She had strong sexual feelings for Adam, and she leaned up to him and kissed him hard on the mouth. Her conscience cheered when Adam didn't pull away from her but put his hands on her jawbone. He kissed her deeply, and Mae savored the kiss. She'd had her feelings built up for months, and she was finally able to let her feelings out.  
Adam didn't know what caused Mae to kiss him, but he didn't let go of her. He'd been deprived of the kind of companionship that Mae was offering for years. He slid his hands through her hair, and he felt her unfastening his shirt. Mae held the kiss with Adam as he led her back towards his couch. Mae encouraged his behavior, mostly because she'd wanted to be with Adam since she first saw him.  
Mae felt her back come in contact with the soft cushions on the couch, but she was occupied by Adam's kiss. He'd bit down on her lip with his fangs and caused blood to flow. He pulled back, afraid that he'd hurt Mae, but he saw that she was smiling at him seductively. There were few times Adam could admit he didn't care for blood, and this was one of those moments. His sexual desire was stronger than his blood lust. He leaned down against Mae's body and kissed her gently then hard.  
The next morning, Mae had Adam's shirt on, fastened up halfway, so most of the skin on her stomach and chest showed. Adam sat in his dress pants staring over at Mae. He realized there was something between the two of them. It wasn't just a one-night fling, like it had been with Victoria-- even if for a brief while Adam thought he loved Victoria. He'd realized that he had just lusted over Victoria, and there was some flame that Adam felt for Mae.  
"I told Madeline I'd send a cable when I got here." Mae said to Adam as she sat on the plush carpet. Adam leaned over and pulled a machine that could send cables to people out from under the couch. He set it up on the coffee table in front of Mae.  
Mae began typing on the machine, and Adam started kissing her neck. She told him, "I also told her I'd say how you were. What should I say?"  
Adam stopped kissing Mae's neck and whispered in her ear. "How about I'm doing much better in your company? That way, we have not lied and have not told Madeline things that she may not wish to know." Mae nodded because Adam was right. She wasn't sure how Madeline would react to hearing about the night she'd shared with Adam. So, she wrote what Adam had told her. 


	31. Epilogue: Times Like These

Mae had made sure to leave to make it back in time for Anna and Van Helsing's wedding. She had conjured up a crystal ball for Adam to watch the wedding on. It would be during the day, so Adam could not attend. Mae had to make several stops before she got to Vaseria, but she was confident she wouldn't be late.  
  
The tailor of Vaseria and Katalena helped design a dress for Anna to wear, but Anna thought they were going a little over the top. Her dress had a long train in the back, and Anna worried it would get dirty by the time she took it off. But, she didn't know why the dress should stay spotless if she was going to only wear it that once. She was standing in front of the mirror looking over her white silk dress with a layered skirt. "This is not going to stay white if I have to go outside, and I will because there is a reception for the village outside." Anna told Katalena and Madeline, they were the only two in the room with her.  
Katalena had told her, "You will just have to try and keep the dress clean."  
Anna replied, "Tell me why that is again."  
Katalena told her, "So that you can pass the dress down if you have a daughter."  
Anna looked over at her. "That is a big if," she told her.  
Katalena shook her head. "Just keep the dress as an heirloom."  
  
The tailor had desperately wanted to get a hold of Van Helsing dress him up, but Anna had ordered him not to. She wanted Van Helsing to be wearing what she had first met him in. The tailor tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. So, he gave in and left Van Helsing's outfit alone. But, he continued to grumble under his breath.  
Van Helsing was asked to tie his hair back, so that he didn't look so rugged. Van Helsing despised his hair pulled back because it looked bizarre to him. He was used to just wearing his hat and not worrying about how his hair appeared. Carl had snickered over Van Helsing's hair, but Van Helsing had grabbed the friar by the front of his robes and pulled him inches from his face. He stared angrily into Carl's eyes, and Carl muttered quickly, "I'm sorry," and Van Helsing put him down. "You just look different like that."  
"I know, Carl. But, it wasn't my idea." Van Helsing replied.  
  
Mae had arrived shortly, but she waited until Van Helsing had gone back inside the church. She wanted everything to be a surprise to Van Helsing and Anna. Quickly, Mae used her magic to decorate the Town Square. She conjured up silk streamers, tables, chairs, and light posts with candles to be lit inside. She conjured up silk table clothes, plates with silverware, and elegant candles--two dozen for every table. She was pleased with her work after she had finished.  
Mae used her magic to change into a dress worthy of a wedding, then she hurried to get into the church. The church was large enough to fit the entire village of Vaseria in, so Mae was able to blend in quickly. But, Mae was ushered to sit next to Madeline, who was keeping Benjamin and Tyrney. Mae sat down and took Tyrney in her lap. He had a mess of dark, dark curly hair. But, he behaved well except he wanted to pull at Mae's hook earrings. Mae didn't seem to mind.  
Van Helsing entered from a room to the right of the altar. He walked over next to the priest, who looked over at him. Van Helsing wasn't sure if he was being judged or not by the priest, but he ignored the look. He turned to the crowd and heard the whole room chattering amongst themselves. He focused on Carl, Madeline, and Mae. They were the only ones Van Helsing knew, and he saw Tyrney point over at him then talk to Mae in baby gibberish. Van Helsing smiled at his son, and the boy smiled back.  
  
Anna was being led by a trail of women from her village. The only one that was Anna's friend was Katalena, who would turn around and grin at Anna. Anna felt ridiculous in her dress and all the make-up on her. She had lip rogue and powder applied before she and the other women had lined up. Her curly, dark brown hair had a crown of flowers woven into it. She'd been handed a bouquet of flowers, and Anna was glad she had the flowers to hold onto because she would be wringing her hands if she didn't have the flowers. She was worried about the whole village seeing her all dressed up, which was something new for Anna.  
The line of women started moving, and Anna followed. She shut her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. 'Am I suppose to feel terrified of being in front of my village? I've seen them all my life, but I feel vulnerable having them see me now.'  
Anna stopped right in front of the door. She was told to wait until the line had reached one side of the altar. She started walking after Katalena had nodded to signal her to come forward. Anna glanced around the room and wished that Velkan was there to lead her up to the altar just so she wouldn't be walking up there as the main attention. Carl had offered to walk her up to the altar, but she had told him it would be fine. 'So, get everything straight, Anna,' her mind told her. She focused on Van Helsing and knew she'd be all right.  
Van Helsing saw Anna and felt his breath catch in his chest. She was beautiful all the time, but she shone as she walked closer to him. He had a feeling she was afraid because she didn't have a confident look upon her face. He smiled at her, and he saw her smile back. She was either putting on a face just to look confident, or her confidence had returned. It seemed forever before she made it to the altar, next to Van Helsing. Anna looked over at Van Helsing, and she mouthed, 'I love you.' Van Helsing mouthed, 'I love you,' back to Anna. Then, they both faced the priest.  
  
Mae saw the priest talking, but she didn't hear what he said. She was too lost up in the sentimental moment. She heard Tyrney jabber something to her that had the words "mama" and "papa" in it. Mae smiled down at Tyrney, who was looking up at her waiting for her to react. Her smile seemed to satisfy him, and he grew quiet again. Mae returned her attention to Anna and Van Helsing.  
  
Adam watched the wedding and smiled. He could move the view around, and he moved it once to see his daughter and grandson. He kept it on them for a moment and touched the glass of the crystal ball as if he were touching Madeline's face. He felt sadness grow within him, but he buried it back down. It was a happy time, and Adam didn't want to have his thoughts clouded by sadness when something joyful was taking place. So, he watched the wedding without thoughts of his sorrows.  
  
After the ceremony, everyone waited for Mae to stand up. Anna came over and took Tyrney in her arms so that Mae could run to the door. She had everything set up and needed some more things to attend to. She had special orders that she was following. They were her own orders, but that made them more urgent. The crowd followed her outside, while Anna and Van Helsing waited until they had left. Carl and Madeline waited as well.  
They were surprised when they finally did walk out of the church and saw all of Mae's decorations. It was dusk, and the sun was setting behind the decorations. It was a breath taking sight. "Mae put a lot of effort into this." Van Helsing said impressed.  
Everyone was seated, but Mae was nowhere to be found. Madeline glanced around for Mae, but she failed to see her. Suddenly, she saw Mae dressed in a butler's outfit. Her hair was pushed back like a man's, and it made everyone laugh. Mae bowed and clapped her hands together. At the signal of Mae's clap, hundreds of faerys brought people their meals. Everyone cheered over the faerys, and they all told Mae their praises as she walked by. Finally, she made it to where her friends sat.  
"Mae, this is lovely." Anna told her.  
"You deserved a lovely reception." Mae replied.  
"Are you going to sit?" Madeline asked.  
Mae shook her head. "No, I have more planned that I have to set up. So, if you will excuse me..."  
All Mae's friends nodded, and Mae was off once again.  
"She is exceeding what is expected of her." Van Helsing laughed, and the rest agreed.  
Mae had a group of larger faerys stand up on a platform and play flutes and beat on drums to create a whimsical melody. Mae started a small fire on both sides of the platform to give the faerys a soft lighting on both sides. Then, she helped a large red toadstool grow in front of the platform. Several of the smaller faerys flocked over to the toadstool and began to dance around it in a circle. It was a wonderful thing to watch because the faerys were like ballet dancers on thin air.  
Mae used her magic to change her outfit again to an outfit similar to a belly dancer from Arabian Nights. She danced around in a fashion much like the faerys and gained laughs, claps, and cheers for her attempt. Madeline laughed her friend's playful behavior. 'She knows how to bring joy to crowds,' she thought. Mae had already told Madeline that she would be leaving for London again because she liked London. She promised she would come back to visit regularly, but Madeline was still going to miss her.  
Later when the sky was very dark, Mae used her magic to create tiny stars. She took one and threw it up in the air as high as she could. The star exploded in a vibrant blue color like fireworks. The crowds cheered and clapped for the display, and Mae threw another up into the air. It exploded in shades of red. She threw another one after that, and it exploded in shades of yellow. Then, Mae began using her magic to throw two up at a time. The colors alternated every time: Red and blue, blue and yellow, yellow and red, blue and blue, red and red, and yellow and yellow. The small exploding stars were definitely a crowd pleaser, and Mae kept the display going.  
Madeline looked up at the colorful explosions then glanced over to Carl, who was interested in the scientific reasons for the explosions as much as their entertainment. She smiled at him, and he saw her smile. Carl smiled back at her and took her hand. Then he looked back up at the exploding stars. Madeline looked down at Benjamin, who she was holding in her lap with her right arm. He was staring up at the stars, captivated by their bright colors, and he reached up in the air like he could touch them. Madeline let her smile grow. 'All my life I've been living for times like these,' she thought. Madeline looked back up at the sky and watched Mae's beautiful exploding stars display.  
  
A/N : The End! But, expect to see a sequel. Before I start the sequel, I'm going to have at least 2 trailers for it. I got the idea to do a trailer from Artemis1860 and her AMAZING trailer for Darkness Within. I'm writing the trailers just get people into my next story. Thank You all of my reviewers, you are the reason this story saw an end!! If you had not reviewed, I would have been disappointed and never finished the story. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!! 


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